Black Hair and Gray Eyes
by Lei Xang
Summary: All hope for Heero and Relena are gone, and they have both contented themselves with what they have. But on a trip to start a new orphans program, Relena meets the most interesting of people. Her name's Aki, and Relena decides to adopt... 1xR Epilogue
1. Girl, 09 09

Disclaimer: Don't own G-Wing, so you don't sue, please!  
  
AN: *Cough* Yes, I know, another series when I haven't even finished my first one, but it's nearly there. And this is like the first idea that ever popped into my head for G-wing fanfiction, two years ago, but never got to write it out. R&R please! May become an Arc.  
  
Summary: All hope for Heero and Relena are gone, and they have both contented themselves with what they have. But on a trip to start a new orphans program, Relena meets the most interesting of people. Her name's Aki, and Relena decides to adopt... 1xR  
  
Rated PG 13 for slight language, for now.  
  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes  
  
Chapter 1  
  
There was no hope. Duo concluded. The two just didn't see what was infront of them. He threw a rock into the pond and watched it sink to the bottom. Even Quatre, the most optimistic, had pretty much forgot about them.  
  
It had been three years since the Marimaia incident. Heero still protected Relena with his life, and Relena protected him the same way, but neither would agree to happiness together. Duo sighed miserably. There was no telling blinded fools.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Both suit cases were packed, one with files and papers, the other with cothes and money. Her laptop was in a bag that slung on her shoulder, and everything else she needed was on her back already.  
  
Relena lugged a suitcase outside and dropped it in the hall, where she knew Heero would bring it down into the car despite what she had told him to do. And okay, the other was a briefcase, but they were close enough. Besides, if it weighed this much, how brief could the documents be?  
  
Her trip was to colony X199999, an older colony with quite a bit of promise, an ideal place to start the orphans program she wanted to begin. She had been wanting to start it for some time now, having seen some of the orphans that were no older than four running around and trying to sell lottery tickets elsewhere. But time never seemed to come for her. Even now she was busy, but her plans worked out fine.  
  
The shuttle would be arriving at her Airport soon, so she had to hurry. Her bags were thrown into the black limo (thank god the pink one "broke down") and she slid in. Heero, her ever faithful bodyguard, slid in beside her, and opened his laptop. Relena would've done the same, except she got dizzy and sick if she read and rode on a car at te same time. So instead, she watched the scenery by the window pass, and began to tick off things she had to do, and things she had done.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Shuttle rides. There was something he saw every week. Always tagging along with Relena in the familiar silence. That required him to see space every week, and sometimes for days on end. She sat beside him, like always, and worked quietly, never boring him or anyone who didn't care with senseless chatter. Come to think of it, she barely talked. He only heard her voice when she muttered problems out loud, or when she was doing speeches. Then there were the chats between her and some of her friends and comrades, but they never really talked to eachother.  
  
Of course, he was only her bodyguard. Speaking of bodyguards, he should've checked out the pilot more closely.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landi-" The flight attendant never got to finish, because the pilot turned on his speaker right then. There were a few pauses, until the pilot finally spoke.  
  
"I'm sorry folks, we just had a slight button problem, let's try that again." There were a few giggles and drifts of laughter in the crowd, and the attendant tried again. (AN: Based on true story, I should know.)  
  
Heero continued to work on his laptop, not really paying attention to the woman. He already knew everything she was about to say. A child zoomed by with her mother, and a baby cried far off in the distance. People snored and murmured around him, but he ignored it all. There was too much to do. Too much to figure out and check before they got to the colony.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
After arriving at the airport, Relena and Heero had gone straight to the hotel before going out. Relena had to put on a disguise as to not attract attention. She really needed to stretch her legs.  
  
With her hair in a black cap, and dressed in very casual clothes, she disappeared into the washroom, and Heero took that moment to groan inwardly. He would have to follow her around the colony again. At least she didn't shop as much as the other women he knew. Like Hilde.  
  
She came out with too much makeup on, and her face seemed pink with powder. The phone rang and she picked it up. It was Duo.  
  
"Holy shit, Cleopatra's still alive! I better alert the media." Relena giggled a bit.  
  
"Ha ha Duo, very funny. What do you need?" she walked over to the bed to slip on some socks and shoes.  
  
"I take offense in that. Where's Heero?" Relena snapped her fingers and pointed at the vidcam when Heero looked at her. "Here you are! I was afraid you got lost." Heero grunted.  
  
Relena tuned the two men out and fixed a couple of locks of hair falling out before waiting at the door for her shadow (Thank you Hilde) to finish up.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The streets were dirty and cracked. At least in the lower parts of the colony. They explored the sights and looked here and there. There were a few beggars and blind people whom Relena pitied and gave them change every chance she got. Sometimes, she even caught a glance of a few children, dirty looking and ragged, watching her in the alleys.  
  
Heero was a ways behind, though not enough to lose sight of her. A black car past them both and Heero saw something out of the corner of his eye, then turned to look. Wrong move.  
  
When he turned back, Relena was gone. Thinking she had just ran up ahead, he quickened his pace a little. But she wasn't in sight. That was when he caught sight of something shining in an alley. A knife.  
  
He ran in to see a big burly man holding Relena tight, and whispering in her ear. He saw no knife on him, but there had definately been one somewhere. The big man saw him and smirked.  
  
"This your girl?" Heero glared and the other man grinned. "She's a pretty one, she'll do." He turned to leave, and Heero was about to go after him, when Relena was suddenly dropped, and the man staggered back a few steps, clutching his stomache. 'Had Relena done that?'  
  
His question was answered when the big man was hit again, but Relena was still on the ground, staring in amazement at the man, or what was hitting him. Heero ran up and carried the blonde away, but not before turning back to see her saviour be a little girl, with raven black hair and pale skin. An orphan no doubt, but why was she helping them?  
  
He laid Relena outside the alley, and ran back in to help the child, but only to see that she had already knocked out the man. Actually, she had disappeared. Seeing this, he turned to leave, but only to see a group of children and the child surrounding Relena. The one who had been seen fighting looked up at him, with her grey eyes that could've phased anyone else. She looked no older then twelve.  
  
"Some bodyguard you are, leave the minister out in the open for others." Her voice was a cold one. Almost unfeeling, though not quite. "You could've lost her for real this time." There were four other children. Two blonde ones, a boy and a girl. The boy's eyes were ice blue, and the girl's were a black colour. A brown haired girl who stood beside the black-haired one had hard green eyes and small freckles. Lastly was a red head boy with silvery eyes.  
  
"How do you know who she is?" He eyed every one of them. Relena stood up and did the same, finally recovering from her shock.  
  
"After you live on the streets for all of your life, you tend to get skills that no one has." She nodded and backed off, seemingly satisfied the Relena was safe. "My name's Greyhound, if you care. These are Quicksilver, Ice, Nightsky and Gremlin." She motioned to the redhead, the blonde boy, blonde girl and brunette. "Try to keep her safer." And with that, she ran off with her friends, all splitting up so he couldn't follow.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Relena was carried back to the hotel without a second to spare. She went off to change for the opening for the orphanage/ adoption centre. But still, she couldn't get the image of the girl out of her head. Another orphan, Greyhound. She hoped that the child and her friends would be one of the first to live in the orphanage. They were young and kindly, though Relena had a underlying feeling there was more than what they were letting on.  
  
A shower and change of clothes refreshed her, and she set off to the last of tasks before the event.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Why'd you help the two? I mean, I know that she's important, but that hasn't had an effect on you before." Nightsky questioned this particular group's leader, Greyhound. Nightsky was ten, youngest out of the five. Her hair was long and dirty, naturally, it was a deep, dark blonde. Her black eyes got her her name, as did the rest of the gang's.  
  
"She's going to be the one who's going to put a roof over all of your heads." Greyhound was the oldest. She was nearly thirteen, and was leader of the group. Her black hair was long, and it complimented her grey eyes. Her skin was a natural pale peach. She was the only one with any scars from the war, though she never talked about it when asked.  
  
Quicksilver looked at her uneasily, and hesitantly spoke. "Are you really not coming with us? I mean, it would be nice to have some good food to eat, a warm bed, and a roof over your head." Quicksilver was second youngest of the group, being only a few months older than Nightsky. He had short, dirty reddish-brown hair and odd coloured eyes. They were supposedly grey, but always had a glint in them to make them look almost silver.  
  
Greyhound grinned at the smaller boy and affectionately mussed up his hair. "I'll be fine, I was out on the streets before this gang was even made." They continued to walk down the narrow alleyways.  
  
"But you were never alone before." The two younger kids looked up at Gremlin questioningly. She looked at them back with her green eyes until someone else cleared their throat. Brown hair swirled as she looked over to spot Ice. She was the middle group member at age eleven and she knew that Ice was telling her that she should know better.  
  
A flash of grimace crossed Greyhound's face before she caught herself. "But I'm older now, shouldn't be a problem." She replied quickly.  
  
Ice looked at Gremlin again and she shrugged. Ice glared with his cold, blue eyes. He was second oldest at age twelve and had light blonde hair. Through his left eye ran a scar from eyebrow to just below where his nose ended. No one had been told what had happened, but then again, they all knew better than to ask.  
  
The alley opened to a run-down street, in the oldest and most destroyed of the colony. The five took a few turns and walked into an old building. Inside waiting for them were orphans from age five to eighteen or nineteen. They all looked at the five whom had just entered. The oldest, being nearly twenty, stood up and walked towards them.  
  
He stopped a few feet from Greyhound and looked at her straight in the eye, flinching slightly at what he saw. "You're late." Greyhound nodded. "We're leaving in a few minutes, get ready."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
He followed her right up to the platform, and didn't take his eyes off of her until he saw Chang Wufei and Sally Po looking directly at her. They wouldn't be there for long, though. Then he skimmed the crowd and nearby houses for possible threats. He noted the few whom couldn't get close enough on the ground and clambered onto rooves, but the were no sure ones. He stepped back and hid himself in the shadows.  
  
The platform was a makeshift made for this event only. The new building they were standing infront of was a deep red colour for the roof, and red bricks covered the outside. Where the sign was suppose to be, there was a cloth that hid it, which Relena would pull at the end of her speech. Heero nearly smirked at what was underneath. But instead, he crossed his arms and focused on the woman at the podium.  
  
Relena began. "For years now, the wars have stopped and peace has been maintained. But despite all efforts, there is still suffering among us. Not from battles or injuries, but from the many who are homeless and sickly. Many of them are children, though there are few whom aren't. Therefore, for the children, I am proud to present this orphanage and adoption center. The many adults will have their own rooms and aids until they can come up with their own. I, myself will inspect this orphanage annually, so that the taxpayers may rest assured that their money is being put into good use. This will be the beginning of a brighter future for many. So it is my honour to present to you..." she walked over to the rope which was attached to the huge sheet, and pulled. Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped, barely able to make out the next few words. "The RDP Orphanage For The Young And Struggling?"  
  
A young man ran up to the podium with a huge grin on his face before Relena could reacted. "Miss Relena Darlian Peacecraft." He paused for a moment to look at her face and his grin broadened. "For three years now, you have given to us peace, many gifts, and taken nothing in return. Not a single statue or building in your name. You have been incredibly kind for nothing in return, so I ask of you, for one favour: Let us have one building in your name, the one that will brighten so many futures, more than you have already, by descending from heaven and showing us the way. Let one building honour you for an eternity, for being the angel you are." The crowd applauded and cheered so loud it was deafening.  
  
Relena's face broke into a smile and she nodded slowly towards the crowd, making it cheer even louder. A few people got onto the stage and lifted her up, and she hid her face slightly, but laughing nonetheless. From the microphone, the young man calmed the crowd down, laughing still at the woman's predicament. They brought Relena back to the stage were she walked back to the microphone in a daze.  
  
"Thank you all, but let me tell you, none of that was necessary, though I thank you greatly for this gift. But now, back on track. Welcome to the orphanage." She motioned to the building and two men opened the doors, letting everyone in.  
  
There was no banquet after that. Instead, everyone was allowed in to inspect the building, and the orphans who had come on their own account were welcomed in to stay. Some of the younger children didn't stay very long, there were a few adoptions very quickly.  
  
Relena looked around the crowd to find a certain girl that had caught her interest. She reconized some of the five children out in the back alleys, but they disappeared before she could get to them. It was then that Zechs and Lucrezia came up to her. Actually, she was still insisting she was called Noin, having married Zechs and all.  
  
"That was interesting, ne?" Noin held her sister-in-law close with one arm. Relena smiled weakly up at her and nodded.  
  
"What are you two doing here?" She asked them both. They smiled and looked around.  
  
"Noin and I were thinking about adopting, and we came for a look around." He patted her back. "I'm proud of you Relena, you've done great." Relena smiled and thanked him, before excusing herself. That was about when she caught sight of a bit of black hair. She turned to see someone walking out the door, and raced after them.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
This was either bad or good, she couldn't tell. That Relena woman caught sight of her, and Greyhound couldn't tell if this was for better, or for worse. It was too late now, Greyhound could hear her footsteps and ragged breathing.  
  
"Greyhound?" She had been spotted. The girl turned around an looked at the panting woman before her. "Aren't you going in?" Her posture was regained and she stood up straight.  
  
"I haven't decided yet, but I do need some questions answered." the Foreign Vice Minister nodded and waited for her to continue. Greyhound reached into her shirt and pulled out a golden locket. She flipped it open and looked at the picture inside. It was of a two-year-old girl with black hair and gray eyes, just like her. But heaven and her only knew who it really was. "How much does this look like me?" She held out the picture for the woman to inspect, which she did carefully.  
  
"Well, if it were both you and that picture together, you could tell that was you, but otherwise, there's almost no resemblance." She looked at Greyhound again. "That is you, right?" Greyhounds hesitated before nodding slightly.  
  
"You could say that but I'm not done yet." She tucked the locket back into her shirt and continued. "Now, do you need our real names and information?"   
  
"We need as much information as you can provide, but your names don't have to be real. A name's just a name." She quirked her eyebrow at Greyhound, but she just nodded.  
  
"How much information will be available to people who want to adopt?" She stood straight and still.  
  
"Just your name and age, anything else will be private unless you say otherwise." Greyhound nodded again. "By the way, you're going to use you're real name in the orphanage."  
  
Greyhound thought for a moment and looked up at the woman waiting patiently. She walked right past her into the building. "Call me Aki."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Okay, that's the first chapter! Review if you like, and tell me what you think. I'll continue the story only if someone wants to read it. So.... R&R please! 


	2. Decision, 09 15

Disclaimer: Don't own G-Wing, so you don't sue, please!  
  
AN: Umm, yeah, so thank you to everyone who reviewed (Or should I say both of them :P)! You are the best! And those few seconds you took to type a review has been rewarded. Second chapter of Black Hair and Gray eyes is here!  
  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"Hey! Aki! Wake up!" Someone was shaking her. Her eyes opened groggily to see Nightsky, or Chantelle hovering over her. "Up sleepyhead!"  
  
"Hey, Nightsky, what's wrong? Are you hungry?" Her eyes were half open as she talked to the younger girl. "And why'd you call me Aki?"  
  
Chantelle giggled and and flicked Aki's forehead. "No silly, we're in the orphanage, remember?" She jumped off the bed and took a few spaces back. "Are you sure you didn't drink any wine yesterday?" She stuck out her tongue and smiled. "Now get up! Breakfast time!" She pulled Aki up and led the half-wake girl to the shared cabinet. "Please don't tell me you didn't notice the blanket," She hugged her herself. "and this comfortable clothes."  
  
"Half-sleeping, I couldn't notice." She said briskly, and yawned. Chantelle sighed an disappeared behind a door. Aki sighed and looked at the cabinet. She opened the one that was labelled her size and pulled it open. The door was slammed again but she ignored it. She was skimming through the shirts when water was thrown on her face. "Ack!"  
  
Gremlin, or Christie, stood there smiling smugly as Chantelle stood with her hands on her hips, struggling not to laugh. "Are you awake now?" She asked. Chris crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.  
  
"And did you not notice us because you were half-asleep?" Chris's smile broke into a grin as she watched her long time friend wipe water from her face. Aki sputtered and gave them both an indignant look.  
  
She grunted. "False sense of security, I suppose." She turned and picked out a light yellow t-shirt and jeans. Finding the bathroom quickly, she disappeared into it.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The meal hall was huge. It stretched from the front door to the back of the building. Painted in soft colours, it gave off a welcoming sense of comfort. About eighteen long tables were aligned down the massive hall.  
  
In the middle, each side of the room had a door, a playroom to the right and a study room to the left. Two doors were placed at the end and front, both leading to the dorms, which continued upstairs. The girls and boys were seperate, of course. In another building, joined to the main one, was a place for the staff, kitchen and other things the kids were left out of. A nursery for babies was in another building, always supervised by at least two people. An adoption centre was upstairs, and an outdoor playground was in the back. Out front were some gardens planted by Miss Relena herself, and some of her friends.  
  
Breakfast was indoors. A few buffet tables lined the walls, filled with breakfast foods. The children sat down hungrily and ate at their food. They were all expected to clean up after themselves, and some had to wash dishes and other chores.  
  
After breakfast was a free time. They could do about anything they wanted. Aki and her two friends ventured outside, where they met up with the other two boys from Aki's group. Cameron was formerly known as Ice, and Quicksilver was Sequin. They toured the orphanage together, and met up with a few of other members from their old home.  
  
There old home was sometimes mistaken for a gang's hideout, but in fact was nothing of the like. Alex and Jean, the oldest male and female, ran the place on their own money. At least thirty orphans had lived there, trying to survive in the warehouse for years. The older ones would work for all they could, sometimes decent jobs, other times, not so lucky. The younger ones were free to roam the streets, as long as they made it back alive. They always went in groups, like Aki and the other four.  
  
Some of the kids took to theiving, and others begged, but one way or another, they made income to support themselves, and as many as they could afford. Very few were too young to go out much, and were the only ones who would actually make no income. After the orphanage opened up, all but two or three came. They had been waiting for years for a home, and many had prayed for the day. Aki was glad to see so many running around, laughing happily.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Relena worked on her sleek, metal laptop. Heero sat a bit away, typing furiously his black one. She smiled. Their own accessories proved exactly how opposite they were, and asked herself why the others had been so bent on getting them together, before going back to work.  
  
Ten minutes later, Relena shut her laptop and sighed. "Heero, I'm restless. Can we go visit the orphanage?" She gave him her best puppy face, despite the fact it didn't phase him at all. It never did.  
  
He did, however, look over at her and thought for a moment, before sighing loudly and shutting his laptop too. Relena smiled at him and and got up to get her coat. She would find Aki again, and maybe, just maybe, find some way to learn about her. Something just seperated her from the other kids. There was so much to learn about that little girl, she thought, and the idea of adopting the child even crossed her mind.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Aki and the others were talking to Jase, third in command at their old home, when two more people entered the room. Aki, in curiousity, turned her head to look at who they were.  
  
It was Miss Relena and her bodyguard, Heero Yuy. Aki raised an eyebrow at the two before turning back to the others. She heard light footsteps before someone called her name.  
  
"Aki, it's nice to see you enjoying yourself." Aki turned and Relena smiled down at her.  
  
She nodded at the two and excused herself from the others. "Thank you, Miss Relena. I trust you are doing well." Relena nodded and walked her off.  
  
"The way you talk, I find it hard to believe you are and orphan." Aki wasn't entirely focused on her though, her eyes lingered to the waiting bodyguard, who was looking at Miss Relena intensely. When he seemed to notice he was being watch, his eyes averted the politician and scanned the room.  
  
"I pick things up easily." She lied. There was no point in telling this woman her life story, though she was wondering about the relationship between the two adults she walked with. Didn't Relena have a boyfriend already?  
  
"An interesting girl, aren't you?" Aki nodded curtly as they continued their way. "What's your full name, surely Aki couldn't be it."  
  
The young girl looked at the woman oddly. Why would she want to know? Still, it was best to answer someone of high stature. "Akira, Akira Tamishia. Japenese decendant."  
  
Relena smiled gently as she thought about it. "How do you like it here?" It was sudden, Aki wasn't ready for that.  
  
"It's more than I thought the orphanage would be..." She started. "I don't think I can find anything wrong with it just yet." They were outside now. The breeze played wit her hair and made some strands smack her face gently. Relena stopped and looked at Aki for a bit, before kneeling down to look at her straight in the eye.  
  
Something inside of her was screaming at her to adopt the child, though why she wasn't sure. She reminded Relena of so many people, too. Last night, while she was playing with some of the younger children, she had seemed so much like Quatre. Her hard, gray eyes were like Wufei's and her stoic behaviour mirrored Heero's. She had seen Aki fight too, and it reminded her somewhat of both Duo and Trowa's styles combined. And her eyes held some kind of deep pain, though securely hidden, of her past.  
  
She was interesting indeed. Complicated and confused, though only a child. She needed a better home. "How would you feel about being adopted?" She could feel Heero stare at her in amazement, and the words caught her offguard as well. Aki was surprised, too. Her eyes widened and she stumbled back a bit, before composing herself.  
  
"I- uh- why?" Relena smiled as the child stuttered.  
  
"I have my reasons." Aki looked down and considered the offer. Her face contorted into a frown, and she began to pace.  
  
"Give me some time," She looked up at Relena. "I'll get to you on that tommorrow." Relena nodded and watched her walk inside, before she began to walk in too. But Heero's hand grasped her arm, holding her back.  
  
"Why?" Just like him to say so little.  
  
Relena shrugged a bit. "Do you remember when you lived on the streets, or perhaps with Dr.J?" His grip on her loosened, but his questioning glare was still there. "No matter how good this orphanage is- I mean it has food and beds, but nothing is better than a real family itself." He dropped her arm completely, and let her walk away.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Something wrong Akira?" Chris turned over to look at her. Aki was laying on her back, wide awake, her head resting on her hands.  
  
"Hn." Christie was about to turn over when she heard her name being called.  
  
"Yeah?" There was a moment of hesitation.  
  
"What if you were offered a home? Would you leave?" Chris smiled at her old friend's quarry. She knew exactly what was holding her back.  
  
"A few day ago, I would've stayed. But now, we're all being cared for, Akira. There's no need for you to stay behind. Of course we'd miss you, but we'll be okay. There's no real danger anymore." She paused, waiting for an answer, but there was none. "Look, we love you, but we don't want you to pass this opportunity up, ok? Enough with being noble, take something for yourself for once."  
  
Again, silence overtook the room. "Thanks. I'll think about it." Chris heard some Aki's sheets ruffle, and let herself fall asleep. "Hey, Christie?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Take care of the rest of them for me, will you?"  
  
She smiled. "No problem."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Relena? You're still awake?" Heero entered Relena's room through the door ajoining their rooms.  
  
"Yeah. Just some things I have to finish up." It was nearly one now. She just needed a bit more time to finish these files. Then, after a night's rest, she'd go back to the orphanage. Hopefully, Aki would say yes, and she'd have a daughter to remind her of all the things she usually missed. She'd have someone to go riding with. Someone to keep her company. Someone to be her family. Finally, after so long on her own.  
  
She tipped a picture of the pilots, their female counterparts and her brother, Noin, Une and Marimaia. Of course, there was also her. They seemed enough like family, except, she never got to see them often enough. Even her brother and his wife, whom were family. She mildy wondered if they had found a child to adopt themselves.   
  
"Are you done?" She snapped out of her reverie.  
  
"Wha? Oh, nearly." She scribbled on a couple more papers and tucked them away in her briefcase. She then tucked the briefcase under the desk and walked to her closet. "You know, I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself. You don't have to stand there." But as she turned around, Heero was gone from the doorway.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"What am I to you?  
  
Do you see me?  
  
Or do you see her?  
  
What am I to you?  
  
Do you hear me?  
  
Or do you hear her?"  
  
Chantelle's voice carried through out the hall from the stage at the end.  
  
"Last time you walked right past me,  
  
Did you see her or did you see me?  
  
Called her name whilst we were leaving,  
  
But ran to me, are you okay?"  
  
Aki listened to the song as the rest of the kids danced and laughed. It was six, and they were just having a day of fun, which they would have to clean up later anyways. They, being the orphanage staff, let kids line up to sing instead of hiring someone to do the songs.  
  
"When was,  
  
The last time you saw me?  
  
When was,  
  
The last time you heard me?  
  
Are you sure you weren't looking at her?  
  
Are you sure you weren't loving her?  
  
Do you know,  
  
Who I am?"  
  
The kids cheered and applaused as the song came to an end. Chantelle bowed deeply and laughed.  
  
"Thank you! Thank you! Now, for another song someone suggested, since no one wants to go after me..."  
  
The doors of the great hall opened and two figures stood by it. 'About time.' Aki thought as she moved over to the doors. She left the hall to the outdoors as Chantelle started to sing again.  
  
"That friend of yours, Nightsky, she's good." Relena whispered to her after they got out of the music.  
  
"Yeah, she'll go far, now." The older woman smiled down at her and she returned it.  
  
"So, I'm curious, did you have time to think about it?" Aki looked back towards the door that seperated her from the only family she knew for the last few years.  
  
"Yeah. " Relena looked down at her curiously. "I'm going with you." She outstretched her hand and Relena took it. Heero, who had been watching them curiously, let them in the door and led them up the stairs to the adoption centre.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Okay, this was a weird little chapter that I used to get the story going. From here on, the story may switch from first person to third every now and then. I'm hoping this picks up in the later chapters. And about the little song in there, it was just something to fill up space. It was something I kinda thought of while reading some other fics. 


	3. Pet Peeve, 09 20

Disclaimer: It's just not mine.  
  
AN: Yay! More reviewers! Thanks y'all, you're the best... est? Lol. So the homework's being piled kinda high, getting ready for highschool this year, gotta hate grade 8. I love September though, fall's great. Okay, so back on topic, it might get a little confusing here, but bear with me, any twists were most likely planned. R&R please!  
  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Aki watched as they two people worked on their laptops across the room from eachother. Whenever the spacebare was hit, though, it made an odd tapping sound. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. She rolled over and over on the hotel bed. Along with the raindrops, the tapping rythm made a low lullaby, almost. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Click. Her coffee was ready (AN:Yes, twelve and already drinking coffee. They can do it!). She poured out a cup and some cream with sugar.  
  
"I don't think kids you're age should be drinking that stuff." Relena said calmly, never taking her eyes off the screen. Akira rolled her eyes and poured two more cups, adding some cream into one of them. She walked over to Relena with the one with cream, and gave Heero the other one. "Thank you, but I'm still thinking of banning coffee from your system."  
  
"Party pooper." Aki replied as she took a slow sip. Saturday mornings were never her forte. "I won't drink it much, just when I need it."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"When I'm tired." Aki smiled as her mother laughed a bit.  
  
"So, I'm tired of this work, do you want to go somewhere?" Relena turned in her chair to face her daughter. The small girl arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Sure, why don't we go picnicing?" She gestured to the rain outside their window. Relena laughed. This was going to be interesting indeed; her daughter seemed to have so many different personalities.  
  
"No, I mean shopping or something. I know it must be boring to watch us all day." Aki shrugged and Relena rose to get her coat, as did Heero. Akira didn't have a coat yet.  
  
"He's coming too?"  
  
"He's our bodyguard, he has to come. You'll get used to it." The three of them walked outside, with Heero following behind them, and Aki looked at her mom curiously; didn't it look like they were a family?  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"None?" Relena looked at the pale blue dress then back at her daughter. "You're sure?"  
  
"Yeah, I'd rather not wear dresses, the always did seem awkward." Aki was holding three pairs of jeans, six t-shirts, and two sweaters. She was looking through some sweatpants when Relena appeared with some dress shoes, dress pants and a neat little shirt.  
  
"For when you have to come with me for this and that, trust me, not much." The younger one shrugged and took out a pair of navy sweatpants. Then she went on to the tanktops, immediately skipping the pink ones.  
  
"Do you still have that pink limo?" The question had caught her off guard, and she slowly shook her head no. "Good. No offence or anything but, I always thought blue was a better colour for you."  
  
"Yeah, me too, all that pink seemed too childish." Aki nodded in acknowledgement as she picked out a plain white tanktop.  
  
This entire time, Heero stood at the doors of the shop, looking at some knives the sold in the store beside them. He mildly noted that the two women had paid, and were now walking up to him  
  
But when he turned, he saw only Relena. Seeing her look past him though, her turned to his other side to see Aki looking admiringly at a few army knives to the side. Then, she pulled something out of her pocket, a switchblade.  
  
"Too bad they don't open like these." She flipped to blade in her hand and pressed something, then a thrre-inch blade popped out of the sheath.  
  
"Those are illegal!" He whispered harshly and pulled it out of her hands. She shrugged and walked off, noting that Heero was studying it appreciatively.  
  
"Good weapons though." He grunted and sheathed it before stuffing it roughly into his coat pocket. The handle fitted well too... "If you need any, There's lots more where that came from." Reaching into her boots, she pulled out two more and tossed them to him. "We don't need them anymore." What had Relena gotten herself into?  
  
Aki grabbed her mother's hand and walked off, letting Heero follow behind and glare at the young girl's back, and wondering how Johnathan wold deal with her. 'Not as well as I would if she was my daughter.' He frowned and shook his head a bit. 'where did that come from?' Still, she'd be an interesting aquaintence.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
In the airport, Aki stood nervously beside Relena.  
  
"Is this your first time flying?" Relena was carrying her breifcase, and Aki was holding a bag of writing tools for the trip. Heero was buying another ticket for Aki, and had only his laptop with him.  
  
"Yeah." She nervously fingered the end of her long ponytail as they sat, waiting for their flight. Opening her bag, Akira pulled out a large sketchbook and began to draw. Relena sat with her paperwork, reading quietly. There was nothing more to say between the two, an awkward silence over took them.  
  
"You'll love it at the Sank, and everyone's will like you too." Relena assured her daughter as she saw tension when the speaker sounded.  
  
"I'm not worried about that." She was a terrible liar, at least from what Relena could see. As the announcement ended, Akira relaxed; it wasn't their flight.  
  
"Then why are you so tense?" A moment of silence.  
  
"Quiet." She smiled kindly at her mother, to show her she was only kidding. Relena brushed her hand through her daughter's hair and smiled.  
  
Heero watched the exchange silently, though he wondered how many more personalities the girl was going to have. He had already seen six; cold; kind; sarcastic; mature; mysterious, and innocent. Cold when he had just met her, kind when she had played with those children at the orphanage, sarcastic at the hotel, mature as she talked with Relena at the store, mysterious as she gave him those knives, and innocent was now, waiting nervously for her first flight on a plane. She was so confusing.  
  
Their flight was announced and she tensed again, hesitantly walking for the exit as Relena assured her quietly. Heero followed behind, keeping watch for possible threats, and noting very many of the people who boarded the shuttle with them, as well as those who were coming off.  
  
He watched as Akira looked about the shuttle in awe. Smiling, Relena had giving her the window seat. His window seat. He raised an eyebrow but she simply shrugged, mouthing "It's her first time." to him. He supposed it was excusable enough. He sat down on Relena's right with Akira on her left. The girl was staring out of the window before the flight had even started.  
  
Innocence, he nearly laughed. She was about a innocent as any other soldier, yet she seemed so normal. Why was it that she had so many different personalities? Why was she so complicated? What was she trying to keep secret? His musing were cut short as the flight attendance began to speak. Hopefully, this flight would have a better pilot than the last.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Stop pacing." Sally was getting dizzy. They were all impatient to see what the commotion was about, but it was no reason for both Duo and Wufei not to sit down.  
  
"For two who fight so much, you do have a lot in common." Hilde stated in irritation, which probably clouded her reason, or else she wouldn't of said a thing, normally. Wufei glared at her but kept pacing.   
  
Heero and Relena would be back any moment, and Trowa, Quatre and their women would be arriving soon too. There had been rumors of Relena having a daughter from the colonies, and as her friends, they wanted to know for themselves. But then again, if anyone had touched Relena the wrong way, Heero would know about it, nd the threat would probably be dead.  
  
Then there as the slimmest of probabilities that Heero was the father, but there was no chance really, no one believed in anything between the Vice foreign minister and her bodyguard besides a small friendship. Then again, there was Johnathan, Relena's current man, but they were still together, unmarried, and he was still alive, so it probably wasn't him.  
  
There was also the case that no one had seen any signs of sickness or anything, but they didn't get to see her regularly, so there was a chance that the rumour was true, although no one wanted to believe it. Of course, Heero saw her regularly, but he wasn't one to share any problems with other people. Wufei hadn't seen anything either, on his trip to the colonies, but there were always chances.  
  
So for hours, Sally, Wufei, Duo, and Hilde sat in the Peacecraft livingroom, waiting for their friends to arrive.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"How many more stops now?" She had his window seat again. But then again, he always saw the stars like this, and her first time was suppose to be special, right?  
  
"It's non-stop to Earth now. Anxious?" She nodded slightly and Relena smiled. Heero, on the other hand, worked on his laptop, ignoring everything around him, Aki noted.  
  
"What is he? Who could possibly work for five hours straight? It's like he's in a 'zone' of his own." she eyed him curiously. But Aki was right, he didn't seem to acknowledge a word she had just said.  
  
Relena laughed and smoothed her daughter's head. "Don't be fooled, he knows everything that's going on right now. I bet he could easily tell me the name of anyone within three seats from us." It didn't take Einstein himself to know she was teasing him, but there was a bit of truth in it.  
  
"I'm not complaining about his work exactly, but he's been staring on that screen for practically the whole travel time, and it's just a bunch of words, boxes, black and white." She cocked her head to the side and looked into the screen. "I can't even look at it for a minute without getting bored."  
  
"And how do you suppose I drag someone stronger than me from their work?"  
  
"Wouldn't hurt you, he's your bodyguard, remember?" As she said it, she leaned over her mother and poked him in the arm, testingly. He gave her a quick look and turned back to his laptop. She raised an eyebrow. "Man, workaholic. Doesn't even take the time to ask me anything." He grunted and she sat back down, seemingly content at his "answer".  
  
Just then, the snack cart rolled by. Relena ordered a coffee with extra cream, Heero, black coffee, and Akira, tea. They sat there, only Heero drinking any of his drink, looking busy. When the cart rolled out of eyeshot, the two ladies switched.  
  
"I can't believe you drink as much coffee as Heero."  
  
"I can't believe you actually drink with your pinky in the air like that."  
  
No response.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Duo, you're are not allowed to drink that much coffee! You'll go all hyper and I won't beable to keep you in line!" Hilde scolded her husband as he stood over the coffee pot the second time that day. He gave her a puppy face bt she didn't give in, having known first hand what Duo was like with too much caffein in his blood. "Jeez, sometimes I think a twelve year old could be more mature than you." She muttered to herself.(AN: I couldn't resist the irony.)  
  
"Hil, Don't worry so much, this is Relena's house." He didn't have to continue, for Hilde already knew what he had meant by that.  
  
"And even she would have to have us pay for some of the things you might smash." Duo gave a awkward nodd of his head in hesitant agreement. She always had better points than him.  
  
The doorbell was heard and in came Quatre, Trowa, Dorothy, and Midii. They all already knew whom Midii was, after a slight meeting at the reunion a year ago, and a few visits inbetween for the most part. They asked around for a bit and sat by the fireplace.  
  
It was at least another fifteen minutes before Relena could be seen at the door, chatting with someone. Had Johnathan picked her up? Wufei was the first to walk over to her.  
  
"Woman, who is this 'daughter' everyone is talking about? People have been saying you've been having an affair with someone, most say Heero. Tabloids have been talking about that daughter you're rumoured to have from here all the way to Mars!" Hilde and Sally walked up behind the chinese man, and waited patiently for her answer.  
  
Which opened the other door to the mansion, along with Heero close behind. She looked at all the people in the room, and blushed a bit before composing herself. "Um... hi?"  
  
Wufei gaped. "The hell? Who is this?"  
  
Relena gave a long, big sigh and tapped him gently on the head. "This is Akira Darlian-Peacecraft. I adopted her. For god's sake I was opening an adoption centre and you still didn't put two and two together." She picked up her two cases, nodded a brief hello to everyone, and led the girl up the stairs an out of sight.  
  
Heero went to stand by the fireplace, waiting for the two to come back down. Trowa walked over to Duo and tapped on his shoulder, and Duo looked at him indignantly before handing a few paper bills to him, with Trowa saying 'I told you so'. He'd have to hurt them afterwards.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
She nearly gagged. The room was huge! There was a plain bed, pale blue walls, and empty closet, but still, it was huge! She looked at the woman beside her. "Were you going to buy a pet elephant or what?"  
  
"No, most of the rooms here are this big. Make yourself at home and come back downstairs, we'll decorate next week." She smiled at Aki and walked to her own room to unpack some things.  
  
She dragged her suitcase to the closet and began to unpack. She then walked around the room a few times, in awe from it's size. She could probably room her entire group from the streets here.  
  
The bed was soft, and the walls were practically steel. She setting her drawing and writing tools on the beside table and walked downstairs.  
  
Thank goodness she had a room close to the stairs. Aki looked down the halls and began to wonder how many people had gotten lost in the giant maze. She descended the stairs until she reached the main entrance, which was as big as the meal hall, and Aki began to realize that the great balls that were held here probably were as grand as the paper and magazines said.  
  
Attached to the great hall was an office underneath the stairs, and a smaller halway lead to the kitchens, laundry room, and a few more locked rooms, one probably being the security center.  
  
Then there was a dining room to the left of the great hall, and the living room to the right. She walked in there to see all eyes on her.  
  
"Can I help you?" She said a bit too shyly for her liking. She was showing a weakness in front of strangers, her mother's friends or not. A tall man with odd bangs stood up and walked over to her, inspecting her features carefully with his one visible eye. For a brief moment, she thought she saw reconition in his eye, which confused her. She had never seen him before, and she would most likely remember his bangs, out of all things.  
  
"Is there something you want to know from me?" He didn't answer, but averted his eyes from his face and turned to her locket. She realized why he thought she looked familiar. She had been told about him from the only other person who had a locket like hers. He knew.  
  
"Arika?" Her hand flew to her locket and opened it, slowly. He knew Arika.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Well, How'd ya like that? Wondering who Arika is? You gotta wait till the next chapter!! You gotta hate cliffhangars, eh? Put the watermelons down... Everything will be explained in the next chapter... just be patient... R&R please! 


	4. Family, 09 22

Disclaimer: Of course, all of the owners write FANfiction, its the new "fad". Please tell me you picked up the sarcasm.  
  
AN: Arika, Akira, Arika, Akira, do you have the slightest idea who Arika is yet? ^-~ just pulling you're leg. Well, here's the next chapter, enjoy!  
  
.  
  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes  
  
Chapter 4  
  
'Akira! Help me!' Aki stumbled back from the sudden memories. 'No, no!' Her arms came up to the side of her head and she violently tried to blocked out the sounds.   
  
"No!" She opened her eyes and looked straight at the brown-haired man's questioning eyes, which snapped her out of whatever it was she was experiencing. Perhaps it was post-war drama?  
  
"Aki! What's wrong?" Her mother ran up to her and stood close, but far enough for her to have some air. The attacks came back on. Another image of a girl identical to her filled her head.  
  
"I- I," Her eyes darted frantically, like a caged animal. Everyone else began to crowd around and Aki continued to back away. "Stay back, let me calm down a bit." Her heart was beating rapidly.  
  
The adults stayed where they were, waiting patiently for her to calm down. Aki fell to the ground, and sat there panting, trying desperately to lock up those old memories within her concious. Her eyes eased closed and her breathing slowly became normal. When she looked at her mother again, the dizziness in her head moments ago subsided, and it wasn't long before she could stand again.  
  
"Aki..." Her name slipped out of Relena's mouth, and the girl stumbled towards her, gripping her like a lifeline. "Honey, what's wrong?" She could hear her daughter mumbling into her hair.  
  
"She, him... Arika," she managed to get that much out before she backed off a bit. She was still unsteady though, and Relena made out to walk to her. "Arika," Aki said a bit more firmly. "was my twin sister."  
  
"What?" Heero whispered softly, and Akira's eyes fell on him. "You don't have a sister."  
  
"Who do you think this is?" She took off her locket and shoved it towards him, stumbling slighty. "It certainly isn't me. This one doesn't have the scar." Her hand came up to the side of her face and trailed a nearly invisible scar running from just below her temple and down to her chin. It was covered by her hair.  
  
Trowa stepped up to Aki and studied the scar carefully. Finally, he stepped back and nodded. "That scar is old. I met Arika just before the Gundam wars. This one was made around that time."  
  
"Exactly. The only time I remember leaving her side was when I was trapped un all that debris, when the colony was being taken over." She scanned through the crowd looking at her. She still wasn't comfortable with all this.  
  
"I remember that!" Dorothy cried a bit loudly, then flinched. Her eyes grew haunted as her own mislead memories of war began to take effect on her. "That was my army."  
  
"No grudges held. It was the past and we've all grown since then." Dorothy's eyes went from surprised to sad, but the young girl stood unflinched. Dorothy swallowed before replying.  
  
"Yes, we've all grown. But I still don't know why you're not mad. Didn't your sister die in that?" Aki gave off a hesitant laugh. Half because she found it odd that everyone loved to jump to conclusions, and that she thought her own kin a blood could die in something like that, after what they'd been through before it. So foolish these veterans were...  
  
"No. Actually, if it hadn't been for Arika, I would've died. But tell me, Mr. Barton, what did you do whilst with my sister?" All eyes fell on the stoic clown who stood against the wall.  
  
"She came up to me as she was recruiting people to help her sister, actually, you. She asked if I could help her, and when I agreed she told me that my help would all that she needed. But when she was leading me to... you I guess, there was an explosion. That's when she was blown away. Last time I saw her." He stood waiting for Aki to consider it.  
  
"Well, that explains the bruises and scrapes, but, how do you remember her so well?" She clutched the locket in her hand and traced the word on it. Hope, just like her sister.  
  
"I remember her because she was the first kind person I met before the Gundam Battles. Before that, I thought everyone was always out to get something from you, but since her, I've learned better."  
  
Aki nodded ruefully. "She did always have that effect on people. But she was too trusting..." memories began to take form but she ruthlessly pushed them to the back of her head.  
  
"So what happened to her?" it was Sally who interrupted.  
  
"She was trying to contact someone we used to know, and it turned out there was a shuttle heading from our colony to theirs. I wanted to come with her, but by that time, I already had my group in the gang, an it was my responsibility to make sure they were safe. Then I tried to stop her, but you don't know how hard it is to persuade her after she had made up her mind. So I was left behind while she went off in this crazy chase." Aki stopped and looked away from Quatre. "The colony was blown up after she arrived."  
  
There was a choking sound but no one turned to see who it was; they already knew.  
  
"I suppose it would be inappropriate to ask who your sister was looking for?" Hilde nudged her way through the crowd to approach the girl. Aki grunted and looked away in digust.  
  
"My parents."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Relena sat back in her chair as she recalled the night's events. It had started out so simple, but the one simple act of trying to figure out who Aki really was had burst into something new. After the admittance of her parents, though, her daughter had closed up and refused to say anymore. She was led to her bedroom before Relena went back downstairs to join the others and discuss her new family member.  
  
Then she thought of how wrong it was. The child hated her parents, and for what reason she [Relena] didn't know. Sighing, she stood to get ready for a shower when a knock came at her door.  
  
"Come in." Her voice practically sang through the air. The door creaked and she was half surprised to see who it was standing there.  
  
"Mom?" A small foot stepped into the light and Aki's entire body came out from hiding behind the door. "Look, I'm sorry for ruining your night." She stepped shyly towards her mother, her head bowed low in apology.  
  
"What do you mean, 'ruining my night'? I doubt it would've been much better. Besides, I dont think I would've ever heard the truth if it hadn't been tonight." Relena sat on her bed and motioned for her daughter to sit beside her, which she did hesitantly.  
  
"Yeah, but, I still haven't told you everything." She sat shyly beside her mother and kept her head bowed.  
  
"Do you want to tell me?" Aki nodded once. "Okay then, let's start from the beginning."  
  
The little raven-haired girl took a deep breath. "I was born to a different family then the ones that raised me for my first two years. But it wasn't really even a family, just a tramp and her abusive... lover." She hesitated slightly at the look on her mother's face. "They had abandoned my sister and I on the streets after we were let out of the hospital. The people who raised us after that had known my real parents, and moved off when they took us in.  
  
"They moved to the colony you just visited and let us grow up there. That was where my sister grew so kind. She got it from my foster parents. But after we were barely two, they were killed. We were then taken in by friend they had made on the colony and been trusted with the secret of our real lives. Being fully comprehendable at that time, we were told the truth. Shortly after our third birthday, they had been killed also.  
  
"We wandered the streets then, slowly growing up by whatever portions we could find, and about a few months later, someone else took us in. This one wasn't an adult though, he was just a kid, like us. His name was Alex, and later became the leader of our little survival gang. But he taught us how to steal and survive. It was about two years after that did we meet Jean, and began organizing our gang.  
  
"So we lived like that for two years, and after that, I was assigned my own group, including my sister, Gremlin, and Ice. At that time, Quicksilver and Nightsky weren't old enough to go outside yet. But during the Gundam battles, Arika decided she wanted to meet the people that had abandoned us, determined that no one was really that cruel, and I was powerless to stop her, being bound as I was.  
  
"You know what happens on her little 'quest'. After that, I kinda learned to live with it and moved on. I led my little group for four more years, that's when I met you."  
  
Relena sat there, stunned at all that had happened before they had met, and began feeling a little guilty at being given everything she needed for so long. She moved closer to her daughter and hugged her for comfort. Exhaustion weighed on them both, though, and they soon fell asleep.  
  
That's how Heero found them three hours later.  
  
~Heero's POV~  
  
As I laid there on my designated bed in the Peacecraft mansion, I couldn't help but let my mind wander to the scene in Relena's room. They had seemed so much like a regular family then. I never remembered my family, at all. Actually, Relena is the closest thing I've had to family all my life.  
  
But I can't help but wonder what it would feel like to have an actual family. Then my mind drifts to Duo, when he had tried to get Relena and I together by putting her in a postion where she had to go out in skimpy clothes to get my help. He had stolen all of her clothes and left her only a few towels, some of Hilde's clothing, and not to mention that Teddy she was wearing.  
  
She had run to my room in the towel, refusing to wear what had been left for her and ran straight to my room. Thank god reporters where not allowed on her property, since the scene of the Foriegn Vice Minister running practically naked into her bodyguard's room would have tabloid business through the roof. But then again, Duo sported a black eye for a week after that.  
  
As I think about the recollection, a blush crawls up unnoticed into my cheeks. When I realized it, I ran to my ajoining bathroom and got ready for a cold bath. That should help.  
  
~Exit Heero's POV~  
  
"Heero?" Relena knocked on his door about six in the morning. It was soft and quiet, but he heard it anyways; like he had been asleep. Heero walked to the door and opened it swiftly. "I..." She stood, to his amusement, shocked by the sudden action. "Aki fell asleep in my room... and she's a little big for me to move alone without waking her up." Her hand moved to rub the back of her neck, which was probably sore from sleeping in the awkward position.  
  
"Hn." He grunted and waited for her to lead the way, which she did shortly after her neck felt a bit better. In Relena's room was Aki sleeping at the foot of the bed, her body not sprawled out, even a bit. It was instead kept in a straight line from one side to another. Heero picked her up gingerly and rested her comfortably in his arms.  
  
She moved her head and began to snuggle closer to him. "Daddy..." her small murmur caused Relena to giggle as he carried Aki out into the room a little down the hall. Relena opened the doors for him and watched as he laid her daughter on the bed. Tucking the twelve year old in, she gently pushed Heero out of the room and into the hall.  
  
"Thank you." She smiled before heading off to her room. Heero stood outside of Aki's door until Relena disappeared into her own room. When the door closed, he too turned around and walked back into his own room. 'This better not happen too much...'  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
There was a loud bang of the front door as Aki was about to step into the pool. 'Damn' she grimaced. It had been only a week after the little incident, but she was determined to seem like a normal kid. Her happy-go-lucky atittude was back and she was more restless than ever. Nothing like exercise to help one forget their psychological problems. But now... it seemed like her mother was home and she was mad.  
  
Stepping into the large mansion, she first went upstairs to the most likely place she would be; her bedroom. "Mom?" The door was creaked open just as a pillow was thrown at it. Aki caught it without even noticing. "Hey mom, what's wrong?"  
  
Relena was on her bed beating the crap out of her pillows. "Ummm, you're servants already fluffed them..." she moved in cautiously, Miss Relena Darlian Peacecraft was never like this.  
  
"I'm sorry Aki, it's just that JOHNathon," she hit the pillow at the name, "and I had a talk today. It seems that he doesn't approve of you. He doesn't even know you!" Aki noted the steady pounding of her mother's fists against the pillows began to increase in urgency. "He's such a... a..."  
  
Aki smirked. It wasn't every day the Vice Foreign Minister was at lost for words. "Imbecile."  
  
"Yes, thank you." They both noted that Shadow (Hmmm... I wonder who that is...) had entered the room. "He's so... so..."  
  
The little raven haired girl gestured in a circle-ish movement, as if asking the right word to come to her. "Arrogrant? Selfish?" What was that word, that one word... maybe it started with an 'I'?  
  
"No not selfish..." poor pillow... "Ignorant, that's the word." Aki moved her head in a bobbing motion as if to say 'yeah, that's the one...' "I can't believe I saw anything in him." she whispered harshly.  
  
"Well, I guess I'm lucky I'm not going to be meeting him. Sounds like a real ja-"  
  
"Language, young lady." The younger one grinned. "And you sure know how to make me feel good about my choice in men."  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow. 'When did Relena get so sarcastic?' Aki walked up to her mother and pulled the pillow out of her unsupecting hands. Relena gave a small yelp of indignation as Aki threw them to the foot of the bed.  
  
"These are too expensive to be popped. Besides, sports is always a better alternative." She pulled her mother gently out of the bed and fixed it up. Relena looked at her daughter's outfit.  
  
"Like swimming?" Aki was about to say something, but remeber her outfit and thought a bit.  
  
"No, but I was going to go swimming before you came back. How about horse back riding?" Then she looked at the pillows and reconsidered. "No, that would be animal cruelty. Oh! I know! You have some unused tennis rackets in the garage."  
  
"Those were my father's."  
  
"Then let's check out your father's taste in sports!" Grasping Relena's hand, she ran past Heero and left him to catch up with the two girls he now protected. Before leaving the room, he sighed ruefully. 'That girl is going to kill both Relena and I.'  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Well... You see... my stories tend to go from action to normal, then action, to normal, etc. So yeah.... And I bet you can't wait for the next chapter!! Relena if tennis!! Hee hee. With an anger problem too.... Well, R&R!  
  
-Lei Xang 


	5. Tennis and Tension, 09 24

Disclaimer: Aki, the gang, Arika, Johnathan, and any other OCs are mine, but that's all! I can't even afford to pay attention in class.  
  
AN: It's been a couple of days since I've updated but, I still feel the need for excuses. I have a project to do on Fiji!!! I hate projects! then there's homework, other ppl on the puter and the whole Shakzaa. Oh well. Enjoy the chappie!! Hee Hee, I just got 4 chocolate bars from my buds!! I'm going to be sick... Oh, and there may be OOCness in this one.  
  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes  
  
Chapter 5  
  
"You gotta love the outdoor courts!" Aki grinned happily she closed the gate behind her. Heero was out brooding about how an indoor one would be safer, and Relena was setting up the ball machine. "Mom, you just go and stand over there, and I'll start this up." She squatted beside the thing and began to play with the knobs after turning it on. when the first ball came out, it was too high. Then too hard. It was five balls after before it was perfect.  
  
Walking over to her mother, she noticed that the technique she was using was perfect. "I guess I'll just pick up the balls you hit over." She picked up the hopper (basket you pick up the tennis balls with) and walked to the other side.  
  
Aki had taught herself how to play tennis with some equipment that was thrown out around the colony they had found. It took her nearly three years to learn, but she had figured it out. It was shortly after that when she was trapped under the debris, and Trowa had met her sister. She hadn't played the sport since, but it was like riding a bicycle; once you learn, you don't forget.  
  
"Aki, do you mind speeding it up a little?" Her mother called over to her just as Heero came back into the court. The little girl shrugged and moved the knob up to five. "More!" surprised, she moved it to five and a half. By now, Relena had to stand at the base line to hit the balls. "A bit more honey!" It went up to six and Relena took a step behind the baseline. "Perfect!"  
  
Aki stood up and rubbed the back of her head. 'Maybe she used to play this?' Shrugging, she stood to pick up a few balls at the back fence. She bent down and saw a tennis ball get stuck in the chainlink fence. Trying to get it out, another one got stuck elsewhere.  
  
"Aki!" It was Heero. Confused, she walked over to the bodyguard and stood beside him. "You should wait until she runs out." it was a statement, not a question.  
  
"Why?" As if on cue, there was a popping sound. Her eyes widened as she turned to the back fence, in just enough time to see the ball that had made that popping sound rolling on the other side. She gulped. "Maybe this wasn't all that good of an idea?" A few more balls flew into the fence without bouncing. She turned to question her mother when she noticed something yellow heading straight for her.  
  
"Duck!" Another popping sound could be heard over her head as Aki crouched on the ground beside Heero. "I see your point. I think I'll stand behind her." They both hurried over to try and keep away from the dangerous tennis balls.  
  
"Sorry about that Aki." Relena hit another ball perfectly, focusing everything she had into hitting the balls. Small beads of sweat began to form on her forehead, and her arm began tiring.  
  
"Maybe you should just attack a punching bag?" A ball flew over the ten foot fence on the other side of the court and Aki gulped. "I bet it would be a lot less hazardous."  
  
Relena laughed and her shots grew weaker. "Sure, the ipacifist/i Vice Foreign Minister caught practicing on a punching bag, that's would give the press a field day." She switched to her backhand.  
  
"Hey Heero, I'll give you five bucks or something if you pick up a hopper full of tennis balls." Relena laughed again and her hits loosened a bit. "Come one! I wanna see this!" There was a grunt in reply and Relena could see her daughter shoving Heero towards the other side ot the court. "Please!"  
  
There was grumbling as Heero began to walk over to the other side and picked up the hopper. As he began to pick them up, Relena noted her daughter grinning from ear to ear at this.  
  
"Aki, how do you expect to get five dollars?" Her grin disappeared a bit before coming on again. 'I'm not going to like this.'  
  
"That reminds me. Mom, can I have five bucks?" The Vice Minister laughed out loud and missed a ball. Unfortunately, Aki had been standing somewhat behind her mother. "Ow! Hey keep your guard up there Mom!" Aki grinned to show her mother that she was just joking, and she laughed again before blocking the next one coming.  
  
"Okay, okay. It iwas/i your fault though." She took the moment to wipe a tear from her eye before another ball was spat out of the machine. She hit it... it began to fly up... up.. then it began heading down... and down... before...  
  
"Ow!" There was cursing on the other side of the court as Heero was hit on the head. Both mother and daughter on the other side fell over laughing. Relena failed to block the next three balls which all hit Aki. But the girl was too busy laughing to care very much. The machine was turned off and all that was heard in the courts were the girls' laughing. That is until...  
  
"Hey! What was that for?" Relena rubbed her head where most of the balls had fell. Heero stood over her, smirking slightly. He held the hopper upside-down with only one or two balls still stuck inside it.  
  
"You thought it was pretty funny didn't you?" He dropped the basket beside him and crossed his arms, still smirking. Relena grinned a picked up three balls, one of them being in her right while the other two in her left.  
  
"Oh, so you want to play like that, do you?" Jumping to her feet, Relena was about to throw the ball in her right hand when she stepped onto another ball and fell. There was another round of laughter, but something was wrong. There were two voices, but Relena wasn't laughing. Aki was laughing, that was for sure, but the other person couldn't possibly be Heero, could it?  
  
Relena looked up, suddenly stunned at what she saw. Heero was laughing. She had made him laugh! Grinning, she jumped up and loaded up again. "I made you laugh!" she said in a sing-song voice. Heero realized her words and began to sober up, until a ball hit him lightly on the head.  
  
Blinking, he looked up to see Relena grinning at him, with another ball ready to be thrown. "I'm not going to fall this time." She threw it, and it hit him a bit harder. Completely forgetting everything, he smirked and quickly picked up a few tennis balls of his own. Relena began to laugh and run away, and he followed.  
  
They took turns running after eachother. Heero could've easily beat her, but he ran slowly to give her a bit of a chance. Then again, she was pretty fast too. They'd hit the other and began to run away. Relena couldn't remember the last time she felt so light hearted. Heero couldn't remember smiling so much; he couldn't seem to stop. Finally, Relena grew tired and fell into the corner, with Heero collapsing in front of her.  
  
She finally calmed down and looked at the man leaning over her. She never noticed how handsome he was. His eyes seemed clear for once, and his muscles showed easily through the tight blue t-shirt he was wearing. The healthy glow in his cheeks made him seem boyish, and his hair was a ruffled as ever. Her hand went up to carress his cheek. He was so close...  
  
"Heero..."  
  
Heero looked at her up and down. This was the first time he'd seen her like this. Her breathing was ragged and her cheeks glowed a healthy pink. Sky blue eyes stared at him softly. Her hand felt so good, her mouth was slightly parted, and her hair was a mess in it's ponytail. He watched as her chest rhythmatically rose and fell. He leaned in towards her slowly.  
  
"Relena..."  
  
Her eyes suddenly widened. "Wait." She barely breathed it. Her soft hand ran down his cheek, across his throat and departed his body just below his chest. "Not in front of... of... Aki!?" She was widely alert now as she searched the court for her daughter.  
  
"Dang!" The voice was familiar enough. Looking up, they saw Aki looking at them from atop the tall fence. "You're not suppose to stop!" She whined teasingly. Realizing what she meant, Heero and Relena pulled away, blushing."Oh well." Something metal appeared beside her and their faces turned away just in time as a tirade of tennis balls showered on them.  
  
"What? Did you think I'd stay away from this?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The three people slid into the limosine breathlessly laughing.   
  
After the little incident, the manager had come out and told them to clean up, since the were being too disruptive. But as they were picking up the balls, someone had acidently been hit with one, and the entire ball war started up again. They were kicked out after the manager had supervised them clean up the court.   
  
Calling Pagan, he had agreed to drive them home as none of them seemed capable to right then. Heero sat on the far left, Aki in the middle and Relena sat on her other side. Their heads were held back as they tried to calm themselves down.   
  
But that didn't last too long. Aki legs were crossed when she began to laugh again, memories of earlier that day flowing back to her. They were both also close to the two adult's stomaches. Relena began to laugh as her daughter's legs tickled her. Heero, on the other hand, wasn't tickled much by it, but saw it as a way to cause trouble.  
  
Soon, an all-out-tickle-war was occuring in the back of the limo. Pagan had to lower his window to check on them a few times as the laughter kept leaking out of the back.   
  
He was most surprised, though when he saw the usually stoic soldier laughing as he tickled the girl and her mother. He was even more surprised when he saw Relena and Aki tickling him back. They eventually stopped, when they were only a minute from the mansion.  
  
That last minute was was used to calm down before they got outside. Heero stopped in his tracks he reconized the person on the steps. A cold expression covered his face and he slid past the man to stand against the wall. He should've known he would come back.  
  
"Johnathan..." Relena stood a ways from the limosine door so the her daughter could close the door. Aki turned around at the name and stared at the man that had been addressed. So he was the ignorant imbecile.  
  
The guy had reddish brown hair, and dark eyes. From where she was, she couldn't tell the coloour of his eyes, but from her mother's descriptions of him, she knew that they were black. His hair was neatly combed into a pretty-boy look, and that was the one thing that made Aki distrust a normal looking person. Nothing good had ever come out of those kind of people for her.  
  
"Relena... I'm so sorry, I was just upset that you had made this decision without confronting me." Aki was about to choke. He was trying to get back together with her mother! But she wanted Heero as a father, he seemed great. Speaking of the guy...  
  
She shot a glare at the boy, but he stood there looking away from the scene a ways below the steps. Aki tried to urge him with her body language but he didn't budge. She felt like getting sick. 'Don't tell me that scene in the courts wasn't real.' She was about to walk up towards the bodyguard when an arm pulled her to her side.  
  
It stank of cologne.  
  
"So, is this the girl?" Johnathan's voice was deep alright, but there was a tone Aki didn't like in it. She saw her mother nodd but never taking her eyes off of the man that was now examining her. She sent a pleading look at both her mother and her bodyguard, but neither helped her. Her thoughts began to drift to whom out of these three adults were bigger imbeciles. "She seems okay, but what drew you to her? She's nothing special."  
  
"What?" Everyone, including Pagan, turned to her at the outburst. "Who the hell do you think you are? You prance in her unannounced, then stereotype me before you ever even heard my voice. I mean, really. You can't say that the first time you meet me!"  
  
"Akira Peacecraft." Her mother's voice rang throught the air and all attention turned directly at her. "You must remain calm and polite when talking to your elders." Even as she said it, though, Aki could feel the anger coursing through her mother's veins. It couldn't be directed at her, could it? Her question was never answered because her mother had calmed herself down when she spoke again.  
  
"Johnathan. Thank you for your offer, but I must decline."  
  
"What? But, Relena honey, just think about it." There was a moment of silence as her eyes wandered through everyone. Heero looked away, Aki looked straight at her, and Pagan simply had his head bowed.  
  
"Ok, Johnathan, I'll think about it."  
  
~*(Aki's POV)*~  
  
I stormed into the house after Heero when she said that. Heero was faster, and I expected that. When he was about to close the door, I slipped in unnoticed, since he had kicked it closed.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I strode forward and forcefully pushed him onto his bed while he was still surprised. "God, after that scene in the court, I was so sur-" That creep of a guy cut me off.  
  
"I had no right to do what I did." I don't know what happened, but his head was bowed and I could've sworn my eyes just blazed. Was this what people meant by thick-headed guys?  
  
"What do you mean!? You had every right to do what you were doing. She wasn't bound to anyone! Didn't you see her looking at you for help out there? Didn't you see me asking for help? Didn't you want to help?" I felt like banging my head on the wall until it bled. I did not want to have that guy in my life. Pretty-boys were the worst kind of people I met.  
  
I know I shouldn't stereotype, having just accused the guy of it, but I've never met a good pretty-boy in all of my years...  
  
"Oh, and you're calling me selfish." I looked up at him, suddenly forgetting my anger. "All you want is for Johnathan not to be in you're family. You're even risking you're mother's happiness for it. I was at least giving her a choice."  
  
"You were turning your back on her! If you had actually looked at her, she would've chose you! Not that, tha-" He did it again.  
  
"And how would you have known I would've treated her better? I'm a war soldier. I grew up being trained for the war. I don't know how to love. I wouldn't o-" My turn.  
  
"Of course, you don't know how to love. What the hell do you think you were doing on the courts and on the limo? Do you think that it what a man who didn't know how to love would do?"  
  
"You still don't know that I'd be better for her." I had beat him. I had finally gotten through to him. He didn't have anything else to get back with.   
  
I felt the sense of pride building up on me, but there was also something pushing it down. I knew that we'd both walk out of this with something to think about. For me, it would be the possibility that Johnathan wasn't all that bad, that maybe I was just mad he seemed to have ruined my progress with the two. And for Heero, it would be the possibility that he was a good guy after all, that he was worthy of my mother.  
  
I slipped out of the room quietly, and fell onto the couch, as my room was being painted right then.  
  
Wait, what colour did I say for the room to be painted again?  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ooooooooh. Tension arises in the Peacecraft household. So how'd you like this chapter? I personally like it. R&R please! Feedback always helps!! 


	6. Riding, 09 29

Disclaimer: Oh yeah, the owner of this thing is writing fanfictions. Don't you think they would have enough to do? Like swimming in money??  
  
AN: Okay, I know you all are so very happy about my updates, how I would everyday or two, but I got another project out now so it will be reduced to two or three a week. Plus, I've got a bunch of other things to do in school, so, yeah... I'll try to get a chapter out at least every four days. But hey, you gotta admit, that's still pretty fast.  
  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes  
  
Chapter 6  
  
'Beige. Lots and lots of beige. Didn't I want baby blue or something?'  
  
"Aki, is there something wrong?" Her mother leaned over to her and looked at Aki questioningly. Aki, instead, looked past her at the man standing at the doorway, Johnathan. A bit to his left, stood Shadow. Aki only called Heero that to annoy him after that fight.  
  
"No, nothing's wrong. Where's my stuff?"  
  
"The servants are placing them in your new furniture."  
  
"Oh..." Aki nodded her head. After that there was an awkward silence. Aki heard shuffling behind her, and knew it was Johnathan reminding her mother she didn't have all that much time on her hands. After they had left with the smallest of goodbyes, Aki snarled lightly. Even after the day at the courts, her mother had chosen Johnathan. But then again, he wasn't the one who turned his back on her. Nope, Shadow was.  
  
"Shadow?" There was a grunt in response. It took Aki all of her will power not to lash out. "I know you were brooding over Mother's choice, but remember; this was your doing. So if you end up lonely, and Mother ends up sad, then it's your own fault. And if Mother ends up hurt, I'll hate you." Striding out the door, Aki could almost swear she could've heard a faint "I know.".  
  
~*(Aki's POV)*~  
  
"Mother?" I stepped into the office where she had been working for the last few hours, nonstop. Johnanthan hadn't even noticed the time as he rode around town, doing god knows what. Or who. Sometimes, I just wish I was a cat, so I could smell when someone was being unloyal. As someone wise once said, 'It hurts to be betrayed, but it's worst when you're watching it happen to someone else.'  
  
"Yes Aki? Is there something you need?" I look up and see my mother looking at me worriedly. She was always so kind, if not naive. She reminded me of Arika, a little angel that brought light into everyone's life. But Arika was much more inexperianced in life, so Mother is much more wise, but to a point.  
  
"Actually, you've been working all day. I was just wondering if you wanted to go riding, just for a bit of fresh air. It'll help. Besides, you could try teaching me how to ride." She grinned at me and I smiled back. Even after living with her for a while, it will take me a bit longer to be completely vulnerable around her without feeling apprehensive.  
  
"Of course. I think this is just what I need." Smiling, she took my awaiting hand and led me to Shadow's room. "Heero, Aki and I are going to go riding around the estate." There was a grunt and the door swung open, revealing the young man I had begun to despise. Well, the other one.  
  
Without another word, all three of us walked to the stables. When we got there, Mother began explaining some things I would need to know. Such as how to ride, handle the horse, and how to make it run and stop. She led me to a brown and white horse, named Rosemary. She was a gentle horse, and easy to handle, but my attention was drawn to a perfectly redwood colour horse.  
  
Mother explained to me that his name was Blurr, for a good reason too. He was a horse for a more experienced rider, but I could try him out when I was ready.   
  
She picked out a whitish horse with specks of gray covering it's body. It was a female called Snow, bought for Relena when they were both young. She was a faithful horse to Relena, and used to be groomed by her everyday, until her job became too demanding.  
  
A black stallion was brought out for Heero. It was a male called Shadow that was a wild stallion causing havoc among a smaller town out east. Heero himself had tamed the thing and brought it to the local animal control. Since he had been the only one there to calm the thing down, it was given to him after they had found he had the sufficent requirements.  
  
The thing had a scar on it's forehead, a clear sign of a bad past. I couldn't help but think how perfect Shadow seemed for the stoic soldier. It was quite odd that they were called the same thing. Well, to me they were, Mother is the only other one who knew of the nickname.  
  
Rosemary was indeed easy to ride, and I did well for my first time. Mother let me try Blurr out for a quick walk, and it seems that I am a natural born rider. Blurr was given to me then, and we went out to ride along the estates, never going more than a light trot. Blurr was quite restless though, and after we got back, I let him run around a bit behind my mother's back. Blurr was the most appropriate name for him, I tell you.  
  
We got off and the first thing we see is Johnathan standing impatiently at the door of the barn. Mother showed me how to rub down a horse before going off to talk to him. Being on the streets for my whole life has also given me good hearing.  
  
"Relena, what are you doing riding out here with so much to do? I know you need your exercise Honey, but you were out for over three hours. You don't want to fall behind now, do you?" Even his voice made him sound genuinely concerned, but I could pick up hints of selfishness. But, if I think back to the argument Heero and I had, it could be just the attitude I have against guys like him. I really do need to learn how to be less of a hypocrite.  
  
"I'm sorry John, my daughter just wanted to go for a ride, so I took a bit of time off. Just let me settle snow down and I'll get back to work. Thank you for be so concerned though."  
  
Concerned my ass.  
  
~*(Exit Aki's POV)*~  
  
Back at the mansion later on, Heero sat in bed as he had nothing to do. As long as Relena was in her office, there was no need to protect her. There was a camera in the security room for that. The door opened and closed quietly, and Heero turned his head to see who is was.  
  
"You know, you look like a normal guy laying down like that." It was Aki. 'What does she want now?'. He gave her a look and she immediately got down to the point. "I just wanted to know if you had something to do. I'm bored to death. The kitchen staff are done with their stuff, I've cleaned my room, the hallways are sweeped and mopped, an-"  
  
The door swung open behind her. "Hey hey!" Duo. "Heero man, what's up? That Johnathan guy and Relena are talking in the office, and the secretary won't let me in. An- hey, what are you doing here?" He was rather good-natured about the last part, so Aki didn't take any offence in it.  
  
"I'm bored, and there's nothing to do. Hey, Shadow, can we go riding again? Blurr's amazing!" Duo raised his eybrow at Heero's new nickname, then shrugged when he got no answer.  
  
"Blurr? Isn't he one of the fastest in the stables?" Aki nodded.  
  
"Hey! Will you take me riding? Shadow's not all that good of company anyways..."  
  
"Sure. I know what you mean. Hey Shadow, can I borrow Shadow?" Duo grinned at the sentence, but Aki didn't do anything. Suddenly, the braided boy could feel a slight tension between the two other occupants in the room, but decided not to ask. There was a grunt from Heero which Duo took as a yes, and let the little girl lead him out of the mansion.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Johnathan, are you leaving again?" Relena looked up from her work as the man opened the door. He turned around and grinned, and Relena prepared herself for the excuse.  
  
"Yeah, there's this woman whos wants to discuss business in a few minutes. I wish I could stay, but this is urgent. Love you." Saying a faint goodbye, Relena let out a sigh. This happened a lot with John, he could never find the time to spend with her. Heero, on the other hand, was with her almost every moment of the day, but then again, it was his job.  
  
Relen banged her head on the table. Ever since that day at the tennis courts, Relena had begun to compare Heero to Johnathan a lot. But she didn't understand why; she had seen how he had turn his head away when Johnathan came, it wasn't like he cared for her. But still, that moment on the courts... Her head hit the table again, and she groaned. She was going to have to to get help soon.  
  
There were then light footsteps in her office. "Relena?" that voice seemed familiar.  
  
"Hilde?" The Foreign Vice Minister smiled and stood up to greet her guest. "It's nice to see you. May I ask what you're doing here?" They shook hands and exchanged hugs.  
  
"I came to check on your new family life. Duo went to see Heero, but he was dragged out by your daughter to go riding." she smiled and patted her slighty round stomach. "So how are you?"  
  
"Fine, but the paperwork is getting awfully high. I think Aki's getting too attached to that horse of hers. It's so dangerous though, you've seen Blurr, right?" Hilde's eyes widened in shock.  
  
"She can ride Blurr? But she's only twelve!"  
  
"Yes, I know." She sighed inwardly. "But she's a natural born. But anyways, how's the baby?" she patted her friend's stomache. Hilde and Duo had gotten married last year, and just decided to begin trying for a child three months ago.  
  
"I can't be happier. The doctors say she's doing excellent. but my back it starting to hurt a bit." Relena led her friend over to the couch in her office, and sat down beside her.  
  
"Still hoping for a girl?" Relena teased.  
  
"Yeah, but either way, this one's going to be a handful with Duo as the father." They grinned at each other and started talking about their children.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Are you sure we're allowed out of the estate?" Duo nervously followed the little girl on his great stallion as she opened the fence and let them both through. It was a moment before she answered.  
  
"No, but you can stay if you want. I'm not making you follow me. I'll I need you to do is be there when I get back, and don't tell them you left me alone." She continued to ride a bit, and it was a while before Duo noticed a dark red car she seemed to be following.  
  
"I wouldn't let Miss Relena's daughter go out on her own, besides, Heero would kill me. But isn't that Johnathan's car?" She nodded but didn't stop. "Hey... Why are you following him?"  
  
"I don't trust him. This trip is going to prove something to me; that I was right all along, or that my mistrust is in the wrong people." The streets of the city came into view as they kept riding.  
  
"Don't you think people are going to question why there are two horses in the city?"  
  
"If police come around, just run."  
  
"Oh Shingami. What have I just gotten myself into?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Heero stepped out into the yard and looked around. The estate stretch for quite a few miles around, so he figured that Duo and Akira were riding near the edges. But it's always good to make sure.  
  
A high pitched whistle sounded in the air, but the usual whinnying of a horse that usually followed it couldn't be heard. The whistle came again, but still no horse. It was at least fifteen minutes when the whistle came again, but this time, from the middle of the estate, where the horse should surely hear it. Still nothing.  
  
"Duo." Heero managed to ground out, and ran back to the stables. He took out a copper horse he knew was rather fast, and rode out of the estate towards the city. Too bad he forgot to tell Relena anything about it.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Heero? Duo?" Relena peeked inside the room, but to see just an empty room. She then turned to Hilde and shrugged, before turning to check on her daughter. "Aki? Are you there?" that room was empty too. "Maybe they both went riding with Aki.  
  
"Yeah, but wouldn't Heero stay here? It is his job to watch you." Hilde checked around Heero's room again, thinking that Duo had convinced Heero to hide from them, unlikely as it was. "Oh well, let's just go tell someone else where we're going. Heero's not going to show if he doesn't want to. Hey, maybe he's jealous of, you know."  
  
The two woman giggled at the absurd idea. "Yeah, and I came from 2000 AD. I'm sure that would happen."  
  
"How do you know?" She winked suggestively at her friend.  
  
"Don't tell me that you're still bent on that. Heero and I are complete opposites. There is no way it would work. Besides, I've finished my work so can we please just go surprise Johnathan? I want to go outside." She whined and made a puppy face. Hilde laughed.  
  
"Okay, okay, let's go."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"It's about time." Aki and duo and left their horses tied up outside the city in the woods, and followed Johnathan by foot. He stopped at an apartment and stepped out to a brunette with long legs and barely anything on. They held eachother and kissed, laughing as they spoke.  
  
"I'm betting relena has no idea. No, I have her wrapped around my finger, she'll never suspect a thing." Duo spoke aloud while reading their lips. "Isn't this thrilling? Yes, especially when you consider who I'm doing this to. I'm robbing her blind of her money and her dignity, and she doesn't suspect a thing." He stopped there and looked down at Aki, who had balled up her fists.  
  
"I knew prettyboys were shit."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Cliffhanger? Yup! Hope you all liked this. so now, Heero's following Duo and Aki, who are following Johnathan, who is cheeating on Relena, who's going to surprise Johnathan. What will happen in the next chapter? What will Relena do? Will she even find out? Who knows, I don't either. 


	7. Strength, 10 02

Disclaimer: I think this this was out before I was even born...  
  
AN: I, am happy. I aced my tests, and assignments today, got almost no homework, and all of my chores are done. Plus, only a few more weeks until my birthday. And I found my bike keys (they got stuck to my jacket), and my grad will probably be saved. Yay!! So, here's the next chapter, R&R please!!  
  
Oh, and I see that you all want something good between Heero and Relena, this isn't it. Remember; 12-year-old Aki has to get through two EXTREMELY thick heads to get them together!!  
  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes  
  
Chapter 7  
  
"What's wrong Relena?" Hilde leaned forward a bit to look at her friend's face. "Aren't you happy you got some time off?" Her face was straight, and she only seemed to be concentrating on the road. She hadn't even noticed when Hilde stopped talking.  
  
"Yeah, but I was just think about Johnathan and me. We've really been seeing eachother less and less, and I'm worried our relationship might be suffering. I don't want it to, he's a really nice guy." Relena began to show she was worried, and Hilde knew she hadn't heard a word she had said about Duo and the baby.  
  
"So you're jealous?" It didn't seem like it, but when someone talked about seeing eachother less, it usually included jealousy.  
  
"No, of course not. I trust Johnathan, and I always know where he is. I just wish we could see eachother more." Buildings passed by as they drove, and people of all kinds of religions and ethnics whizzed by.  
  
"I never really liked him, though. Do you think Aki, Duo, and Heero followed him? I mean, Duo's not quite fond of hime either..." children walked home from school and babies cried in their strollers. The neighbourhood of the city began to disappear and the downtown started.  
  
"Aki doesn't like him much either, but she's been trying to accept him. And I doubt Heero would let them drag him along." She turned a corner slowly, and began to search for the building Johnathan had described. But she couldn't see any.  
  
"Yeah, but sti- hey! What's that?" Relena and Hilde's heads were now looking out the right window, and Relena was just fast enough to catch a glimpse of two disappearing figures.  
  
"Hilde, stay here, I'm going to check it out." Both figures were unusually dark, and Relena didn't want her pregnant friend to be hurt. Of course, she protested.  
  
"But Relena! Those two are too fast for you to catch, and-" Things really did seem to like cutting people off that day.  
  
"Relena! What are you doing out here?" A strong hand grasped her wrist and pulled her around to face its owner. "Where is your bodyguard? You shouldn't be out here alone."  
  
"Heero!" That explained the vice-like grip. "What are you doing here?" her eyes widened considerably as his grip actually tightened a bit, in what she could only gues was frustration of some kind. Was it her?  
  
"Aki and Duo have dragged one another out into the city. Why, I have no idea, but I'm tracking them down. Now, what are you doing here?" She wiggled her wrist free and rubbed it to try and help the ache he had left behind.  
  
"I was going to surprise Johnathan, but it seems that John gave me the wrong address. Now, though, that I know why I haven't seen the three of you, I'm going to track that girl down with you. Which way?" She began to get into the car, but he stopped her.  
  
"They're sticking in the alleyways. I think they're tracking someone, but you can't follow them with a car."  
  
"But Hilde..."  
  
"She can drive around and do whatever she wants, but you have to go on foot." Hesitating, Relena looked over at her friend, who only smiled and gestured her to go on.  
  
"Okay. Take care Hilde, we'll meet you back at the mansion. But for now, I have to punish a certain daughter of mine." Hilde moved to the driver side and Relena followed her bodyguard into the dank alleyways of downtown.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"I think we lost him." Aki panted as she looked behind her. She couldn't sense the other figure in the alleyways anymore, but was ready to run when they caught up. Duo, on the other hand, sat down on a corner.  
  
"Ya... Hey kid, how did you keep up like that? I run pretty fast." He, too scanned the area, but relaxed afterwards. Their nuisance was gone.  
  
"I dunno. Survival instincts? I was an orphan, you know." There was a pause. "Get up, their coming again. But I think there's two now." She looked over only to see the man with the braid was already up, and she guessed he had already known. "How much farther?"  
  
"I think the car came around here." The two took off running, and Duo was blissfully reminded of his own orphan days. Aki, on the other hand, was concentrating on getting Johnathan caught, so that her mother wouldn't be humiliated.  
  
~*(Relena's POV)*~  
  
They were fast, I had to admit. It seemed like Heero and I just kept running, but never even catching sight of them. As we ran, I noticed my car on the road that lined the alleyway. I couldn't see much either, since the sun was beginning to set in the streets. I wished I was at home instead of this, but I still had to find tht daughter of mine.  
  
What could've possibly posessed her to run away like this? Why was Duo with her? My mind was reeling with questions, until Heero grabbed me around the waist. What the hell did he think he was doing?  
  
"Hold on." He adjusted my position so that he had an arm under my knees and another under my back. We began to practically fly as he ran. It wasn't until Iwas being held did I realize how tired I was. Was I slowing him down?  
  
As he continued, I nearly fell asleep in his arms, but the light suddenly hit my face and we stopped. I was dropped slowly to the ground and I saw him motioning me to follow. What was it he had found? Surely Aki and Duo would know we were here, right?  
  
Turning the corner, I couldn't believe my eyes. There was Johnathan and Aki, with my daughter ready to strike him with something I assume she found on the streets. Duo was there too, his eyes wider than ever. But the last person that was there, I refused to acknowledge until I was sure this wasn't a nightmare. I wasn't asleep in Heero's arms as he carried me through the alleyways.  
  
Johnathan and the woman was against the apartment. She had long, delicate legs, and her dark brown hair draped her shoulders. Her eyes were a dark colour, and her body seemed so long and perfect, I knew exactly what was going on. Then again, their position was a pretty obvious give-away. He was pressed against her, with her legs slightly wrapping his while still supporting her. They were breathing heavily, indicating they had just gotten out of a kiss, and her arms were pressed against the building. His hands were holding hers in place, but his face was staring fearfully at me, knowing he had just been caught.  
  
My legs grew weak, and I leaned against the nearest building for support. I heard only a few things, and saw even less. I knew Heero had given me a worried glance, and I was aware that Aki knew I was there.  
  
"Mom!" I heard a few threats aimed at Johnathan then her arms encircled me, giving me help. Heero left my side as soon as she was here to restrain Duo from pounding too much of Johnathan's face out, but her hit him as well.  
  
My strength came back to me and I rosed ubruptly, surprising Aki. Striding purposely towards the four at the steps, I walked straight up to Johnathan and glared at him straight in his bruised eyes.  
  
"Relena, honey, I-" I shut him up by giving him a well-earned slap, and I felt arms reach out to catch me as my knees finally buckled and I fell.  
  
~*(Exit Relena's POV)*~  
  
"You asshole." Duo glared at Johnathan before helping Heero and Aki with Relena.   
  
Hilde had arrived with Relena's car and they all piled in quietly. Relena was still concious, but her state of mind was weak, and she was barely comprehending much of this. The drive home was silent, with Aki acting as Relena's current source of strength. She sat straight and strong, trying to give comfort to her mother.  
  
'She'll be okay. She's been through worse, only minor depression right now.' a small arm rested on Relena's shoulders, holding the woman to it's owner's smaller body.  
  
At the edge of the city, where the horses were kept, the two men and girl got out to ride the horses home.  
  
"So Heero, buddy, no chance of you taking this advantage, ne?" Heero rode to the far left, Duo in the middle, and Aki on the right. Unfortunately for the two, currently stoic, others, Duo hated the silence. A glare was sent in his direction, and the braided man chuckled.  
  
"Aki, don't you want Heero to be your new daddy." He looked hopefully over to the girl, who ignored his hopeful look.  
  
"Don't use words such as mommy or daddy around me. Especially when I'm thinking." Duo pulled back on the copper horse and rolled his eyes.  
  
"Sheesh, girl who grew up too fast. Just when you thought she was opening up to people too. I swear, you got a split personality girl." Aki wasn't amused; the man talked to much.  
  
"shut up and ride quietly, or I might borrow a blade from someone next time you come."  
  
"Sheesh!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Duo and Hilde went home a bit later, but Aki refused to leave her mother's side. Heero retreated to his room earlier, and the mother and daughter sat in Relena's room. The small girl held her mother loosely, not comfortable with this much physical contact. But Relena was grateful for the support her daughter gave her. She was happy to have anything at all.  
  
Relena knew and respected the fact that Aki was withdrawn mostly, and wasn't comfortable with human touch that didn't hurt. She had grown up as an orphan, with her only family being her twin, now deceased, sister. She knew the withdrawn attitude wel, having been through it herself. She knew how to read the little emotions they gave out too. Even with the very little sqeezes on the shoulder her daughter gave when she seemed really depress, Relena could tell she cared a lot right now.  
  
"Aki?" She looked down at the raven-haired girl sitting beside her on her bed. The girl, in turn, looked up at her, ready to hear her mother out and help her with whatever she needed. Loyalty, that was her strongest characteristic.  
  
"Yes mother?"  
  
"I need to get away from all this."  
  
"Yes mother."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
The day seemed normal enough, though Relena stayed in her room most of the time. No one questioned anyone about it; they already knew. News of the cheat spread quickly, and he was getting full tabloids for himself. Relena was usually perceived to be the innocent victim in all this, which she was. Johnathan was on the front page of pretty much every magazine and newspaper, usually hiding his face from view.  
  
Aki was the only one allowed access to Relena, and brought all of her meals into her room. Heero watched helplessly as his employer locked herself up in her room, refusing to speak to everyone except that one girl. Aki had also brought in a few things that confused Heero, such as paper, some work, pens, ink, stamps and other things like that. It looked like Relena was working in her depression, but she still didn't emerge.  
  
Finally, he got fed up and knocked on her door. It swung partially open to reveal Aki, but she wouldn't let Heero see more than just a bit of Relena's room. He even tried to push the door open a bit farther, but to to avail. She was pretty determined to keep in mostly shut.  
  
"Is there something I can help you with?" She asked innocently, as if it was any other day.  
  
"Let me talk to Relena." It was short and gruff, not showing more than irritatation.  
  
"I can't do that. She's busy." Heero tried to push it again, but the girl was stronger than she looked. Her face stayed stoic and straight as he tried again, only harder. "Don't do that, she doesn't want visitors."  
  
"Hn." Heero grunted and pushed harder, but he realized that there was someone behind the door that was pushing back. Aki couldn't do this all by herself, she was only twelve.  
  
"About time you figure it out Shadow." Aki let out a small growl of her own as her glared at her in irritance. "My mother doesn't wish to be spoken to, so she will not be spoken to, simple, isn't it?" She glared, but he ignored it.  
  
"Relena, let me in." Her glare began to show irritance as well, but she stayed silent during his futile attmpts. "I'm going to break down this door." He was about to pound on it, but Aki seemed to look at Relena, and stepped away. He pushed, and it opened. Heero nearly smirked, knowing he had won.  
  
Except something with short red hair stepped right over him as he was knocked, surprised, to the ground. When he tried to get up, Aki shoved him down again. There was a series of footsteps, though it only belonged to one person. He was finally able to sit up, and looked over to glance at Relena's coat, trailing down the steps towards the front door.  
  
He would've moved, if it wasn't for the familiar click that indicated the safety going off on a gun.  
  
"Don't move. Mother wants this, so this is what she's going to get. You are not ruining it for her." He tried to strike, but she was out of reach. He frownd. 'Relena just had to adopt the smart little bitch.'  
  
"You wouldn't shoot." He dare her to, but instead, she lowered her gun to aim at his leg.  
  
"Unlike most people, my emotions can be turned on and off. Unfortunate for you, they are off right now." Tires screeched and Heero knew Relena had gotten away. If Aki was this good in everything, there would probably very little chance in finding Relena, since they had been planning all day and it was past seven already. His body fell back to resting on his elbows, then sliding to the ground before letting his head hit the ground.  
  
He was in shit.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
What? It has been six chapters BEFORE this, shouldn't I get the story moving a bit? Let me see... the story's been going a bit slow, so... plot twist! Trust me, there will be quite a few more, and NO. This is not going to be one of those "Relena runs away" fics. I'm not good enough to make one that's original, and most are really cliche. Well, see you next chapter (or in my bio). R&R please! 


	8. Irritation, 10 05

Disclaimer: Not in this lifetime, anyway.... And CHANGE THE WORLD i'nt mine either, it's by V6 and the opening song to Inuyasha. Also, the last song, is just the beginning, and I don't own it either. It's Landslide by the Dixie Chicks.  
  
AN: Lot's of disclaimers up there.. *whistles*. And I just found this new game called puzzle pirates, and I'm pretty much hooked. Well, new chapter, and it might be a bit confusing, and not one of my best, but I can't really think of anything, writer's block, you know. Heh heh, Aki is having a ton of fun...  
  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes  
  
Chapter 8  
  
"Preventor Yuy reporting." The stoic stepped into the room, facing Lady Une and awaiting his punishment. Before the door to the office close though, he caught a glimpse of what could've been a smirk from the little girl responsible for this. What he wouldn't of given to pull out his gun right now...  
  
Aki turned and went back to the room where all the other ex-pilots were, having heard about the situation with Relena. She sat down at the table, where all eyes turned to her.  
  
"Go ahead, ask questions, I'll answer them all." Bad move. They all began to ask her things, controlling their anger with her. All ten (Zechs was there too, and all of the woman were with them.) grounded out practically the same words.  
  
"Why the hell did you do it?" It didn't earn them the shivering mass they expected, but instead a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Tell me, what would you of done or wanted in our situations? You worked everyday and night for almost nothing in return, only able to take pleasure in the smallest things in life. Then, when you just want to surprise the person you've placed all your trust in, you find that they aren't loyal to you back. How you do deal with finding that your trust was misplaced?" They winced and thought for a moment. Aki smirked behind her cup of coffee, obviously they didn't plan this at all.  
  
"And before you tell me that I shouldn't of let her leave, nevermind planning with her, remember this. She's been working for years now, with no one but a backstabber to trust, her friends almost never got the chance to see her, and she was obviously in need of a new way of thinking. Besides, it's not like she'll be gone forever. We've made arrangement for her to be able to contact me everyday so I know she's okay. And she'll contact only me, you might try and put a tracker on her somehow."  
  
"But where is she? In space or on Earth?" Duo leaned forward. "It's killing me not having any idea." Aki's left eye twitched, how stupid did they think she was?  
  
"I'm sorry but I can't release any information about her new life. Anything is a clue for you to work on." Placing down her cup, she had to catch it again as her Uncle hit the table, hard.  
  
"Why didn't she come to us? I doubt any good is going to come from her leaving that couldn't come with her talking to us." A couple of hissing sounds came from the people who missed their cups by a bit.  
  
"On the contrary. She wanted a new look on life. You can't exactly tell how bad the situation is from the top, you know. Stories can't compare to the real thing. She'll be able to calm down, and think of ideas for her job. I doubt you'd give her time to think anyways."  
  
"Well, what are we suppose to do in her place? Did she think of that, girl?" Her mother was right, Wufei would be irritating.  
  
"Of course. We've planned it out fine. She'll be one for a couple of weeks, three or four, and I'll be sending her files over to her... with a private messenger, and she'll beable to get it all done. The meetings aren't really important, all those old guys need is someone to make sure they can keep a level head. I'll be helping out there."  
  
"A twelve year old girl, meeting with the councils on deciding with ideas that could change the whole universe?" Dorothy looked at her skeptically. Of course it sounded impossible.  
  
"Thirteen as of tommorrow. But, they placed a fifteen year old girl who's been pampared all of her life as queen of the world, I mean, really. Now her daughter is level headed, controlled, and logical, with experiences that some of those guys don't even have, like her. And, I won't be making decisions, just keeping them level headed and thinking straight. Again, I'll be sending the proposition to my mother, and she'll decide."  
  
"And how do you know that this messenger is completely loyal?"  
  
The smirk came again. At least Lucrezia was giving her a good question. "I wouldn't make that kind of mistake. Ten hours of planning and do you think I would overlook that?"  
  
The ringing of a cell phone came and everyone check, though it was Aki who had it. She pressed something and they all knew that it was a collect call, so couldn't be traced.  
  
"Evening Mom. I trust you arrived okay?" She walked off to a corner, speaking lowly so they couldn't hear. "Yeah. Yup. Yes, he was irritating. No, the first meeting is halfway between now and when you come back, so you'll just be getting some paperwork for now. Yeah, it's getting lower now that the treaty's been passed. Not much, small pile. Okay, tommorrow then. Bye."  
  
Without looking back, she walked out the door, seeing as Heero had come out already.  
  
"Time for phase two."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Where is she?" Rolling her eyes, she turned to faced Heero.   
  
"I told you, I can't tell you. She's happy and safe, that's all that matters." She turned the corner and walked, trying to get to the training room before he lashed out. They had just arrived at the mansion a few moment earlier, and he would not stop asking her that same question.  
  
"Where. Is. She?" Stepping into the room, Aki turned and sighed. This guy was truly thickheaded. Now all she had to to do was pull the right strings...  
  
"Why is it you care. You have my word that she'll be alright. She's happy now, and she'll be coming back. It's not like she's really all that needed here." If only you could hear when they lost control.  
  
"She is needed. She's wanted, needed, allowed, and should be here instead on god knows where." Physical labour helps loosen emotional strain. Aki jumped away, making him lunge after her. It wouldn't be long if she kept pushing it.  
  
"She's here practically twenty-four seven. All she needs is some time to herself, not being constantly watched." He striked again, though not as fast as Aki knew he could. She dodged it too easily.  
  
"I need to know that's she's okay for myself. I need to know exactly where she is." Heero answered her questions, trying to convince the smart little bitch to tell him everything. She was so frustrating.  
  
"Why? Does it matter if she's at home or at someone else's house? It's not like you care for her besides that fact that she's your employer." Heero striked again, but harder, and Aki was almost hit in surprise.  
  
"I care because she the only family that I have, she the only person that's accepted me." Anger began to boil up when she mentioned the idea of her in someone else'd house. Was she living with someone? A friend?  
  
"Your friends accepted you. You had plenty of other choices besides her." Getting deeper... a little more and she pop the question. "Oh, and I forgot to tell that guy..." she muttered to herself. He heard, and slammed her into the wall.  
  
"What guy?" His face was close to her, and he snarled. She was dying to ask the question, but it was still too soon.  
  
"Heh, you sound jealous. But that couldn't be, you never minded when Johnathan was with her." He pushed harder, and Aki felt pain where he held her to the wall. So close...  
  
"Who said I didn't mind!?" That was all she needed, she had gotten through.  
  
"Oh, so you admit you were jealous. Hmm... how could it be? Could it be that you... love her?" He faltered for a second before realizing he had been tricked. Why couldn't Duo or Wufei have gotten her? Or maybe Zechs?  
  
"Where is she?" Bingo, she got through to him. Now was the matter of making her mother realize it too, and melting some of the ice around Heero.  
  
"Answer me. Do you love her?" He pushed again and growled. "I mean, that day at the courts..." The ground came rushing up to her and footsteps moved away. Well, no answer but there was a huge chance of making him admit it... He was probably confused now, so she'd let him walk away.  
  
"Phase two complete."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Since Aki was in the training room, Heero couldn't think in there. Instead, he'd have to go for a jog. Heero changed into some sweatpants and a t-shirt before getting his shoes on and going outside.  
  
He started for the city. It was a good three miles away, but that wasn't much of a problem. He began to run, even though it had taken a bit of strength out of him to catch that little girl. She was faster that she looked.  
  
And what was that she was trying to do? She was confusing him with all those things she was saying. Him, in love with Relena? Bullshit. Relena, living with a guy? More bullshit. But his blood boiled at the thought, and he began to run faster. Soon enough, he was in the downtown streets, the same ones he was in two days ago. Running through some alleyways, since some girls were ogling him, he was suddenly reminded of Relena's body in his arms as he carried her through the streets.  
  
Shaking it off, he emerged near a quaint little neighbourhood. He'd run through there a couple of times before heading back.  
  
As he passed, he noticed a number of blondes and redheads, all of which made him look over to see if they were Relena. He thought he saw her face a few times, but it turned out to only be someone else. And a few more times he thought he saw Relena's coat disappearing around a corner, but turned out to be a bit of paper flapping in the wind.  
  
Angry at himself for seeing the woman everywhere, he turned back and ran towards the mansion. That girl was good, not even Duo got him thinking like that. Even if it was a lie, or was it?  
  
"Shit." He was doing it again.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
When he got back, he heard music from one of the rooms upstairs. It was probably Aki, but he went to check anyways... after a shower.  
  
Opening the door, the song burst out in his face. Laughing, Aki turned it down.  
  
"So, cleared up your head a little bit?" She had switched personalities again. The little bitch was gone and she was the light-hearted one again. She was sitting cross legged on the bed, her hand on the knob of the stereo.  
  
"Hn." She sighed and turned the music up again.  
  
"Come in, sit. I don't bite." He came in, but he leaned against the wall instead of sitting. She sighed. "Jeez, you're so uptight. But then again, I guess I shouldn't talk." She was waiting for an answer, he knew, but he didn't say anything.  
  
"Don't tell me you're pissed about the thing in the training room, Heero. I was just wondering, and I doubt I would've gotten the truth If I asked." She looked hopeful for an answer, but he didn't answer so she just be quiet. A new song began to play.  
  
I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD  
  
Kaze o kakenukete  
  
Nani mo osorezu ni  
  
Ima yuuki to egao no kakera daite  
  
CHANGE MY MIND  
  
Jounetsu tayasazuni  
  
Takanaru nirai e te o nobaseba  
  
Kagayakeru hazusa  
  
IT'S WONDERLAND  
  
Hai iro no sora no kanata  
  
Nani ka oitekita  
  
Kimi wa mayoi nagara sagashi tsuzukeru  
  
If Heero was surpised by the language, he was much more surprised when Aki began to sing the words as well.  
  
Kimi no kokoro furueteta  
  
Asu no mienai yo  
  
Nani mo shinjirarezu mimi o fusagu  
  
Kimi ni deatatoki hountou no ibasho mitsuketa  
  
Nanigenai yasashisa ga koko ni atte bokura mezameru  
  
I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD  
  
Nido to mayowanai  
  
Kimi to iru mirai katachi doreba dokomademo  
  
Toberu sa  
  
CHANGE MY MIND  
  
Jounetsu tayasazuni  
  
Shiranai ashita e tsubasa hiroge  
  
Habatakeru hazusa  
  
IT'S WONDERLAND  
  
Bokura wa onaji sekai o oyogi tsuzuketeru  
  
Tagai no negai e todoku hima de  
  
Minna onaji fuan kakaete sasae aeru yo  
  
Tachi domaru shunkan ni  
  
Mitsumeteru kono basho ni iru  
  
She noticed his stare and grinned sheepishly, turning off the stereo.  
  
"What? I'm partly Japanese. I should know at least a bit about it. Besides, I like this song." He didn't stop looking at her. "I know it's old, but after that, the songs begin to get rather... incomprehendable, then they go back to mostly Classical and stuff."  
  
Then, her mischevious grin came back on. "Come on, I'll show you some songs... maybe I'll even get you to learn how to dance."  
  
"I know how to waltz, that's all I need."  
  
"Stupid stick in the mud." A huge shiver overtook her. "Eeek, I hope Dr.J didn't teach you how." She got up and changed CDs. "This one's a favourite of mine..."  
  
Took my love and took it down...  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
*LAUGHS* Heh heh, Heero must be bored, letting Aki make him do this. Oh well, she's trying to do something here... R&R please! 


	9. Questions, 10 10

Disclaimer: I think I'll just stick to fanfictions, thank you very much.  
  
AN: This is a bit late so, sorry! I was up a while last night finishing a chapter for my Inuyasha one (I was late on that one too.), then today I had to make a drawing illustrating a list of words, which is DIFFICULT to say the least. I have homework, still didn't do my chores (I think) and my puzzle pirates account hasn't been touched for two days now, since I'mn behind. I might have to extend my writing time for 3 days, since I've just become an unofficial tutor to most of my classmates. So, I've got a lot going on now... well, R&R please!  
  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Listening to music again, Aki didn't notice all the times Heero had gone by her room, hoping for some clue to where Relena was at that exact moment. It had now been two weeks, and no matter what a guy did, the girl just didn't crack. She had been very careful in disposing of all clues, and not to say a word to anyone. Relena's calls did come to Aki's cellphone, but they were all untraceable. Heero just couldn't find the bug she had used to secure the line. That was until he found out the line was Relena's own private one.  
  
Damn them both for making this so difficult...  
  
But he hadn't the time to shoot a glare at the girl, because she had turned the music off and shut the door tightly. Relena was calling soon. Leaning on the door, he tried to figure out their conversation. Hopefully it would be something good.  
  
"Yeah? Oh really. Heh. Nice kid indeed. Yeah, they'll be there tommorrow. It's not like I have school. No, he's still stalking me. No. Of course not. Doubt it. Well, it'll only be another week anyways. Oh really? That'd be nice. Get Shadow off my back. No the horse." Heero cursed under his breath, they weren't giving anything away, though he could guess at some unsignificant facts. "That stuff stains. Ha! Oh, yeah. Doesn't think I know though. Heero! My mom wants to talk to you." He frowned. Since when did thirteen year olds get so intelligent? How come Relena wanted to talk?  
  
He opened the door and strode in, snatching the phone out of the girl's hands. Checking the mini screen first, he was disappointed to see the picture off. Maybe the sounds in the phone would give him a clue. He held the small machine to his ear.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nice way to greet a long lost friend, Heero. And no, the surrounding doens't specify where I am at all." There was a clicking sound, and Heero realized it had been a decoy to let Aki slip away. And slip away she did.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Mom?" Raven hair was the last thing to be seen disappearing into and old, shabby apartment. Aki stepped into the small rooms, looking for her mother. She finally found her in the bedroom, lying on her stomache on the bed.  
  
"Oh, hi Aki. Having fun with Heero?" The now reddish blonde looked up and smiled at her daughter. She shrugged.  
  
"Meh, good enough. How's the undercover mission?" Relena laughed a bit with her daughter. Unlike what most of her friends thought she would do, Relena had hidden herself in the city, to access the mansion easily should anything come up. It also made it easy for the two to visit eachother, Aki while delivering work and Relena during the nights. Being the owner of the mansion, she had the codes that would turn off certain security measures for a certain length of time. Quite cleverly, they would meet and walk in unison, with lighter steps so it would sound like just Aki walking to Heero. Security tapes were never a problem.  
  
"Nearly done. I'll be home soon."  
  
"Good. Heero is driving me insane! He follows me everywhere, expecting me to spill. How did you ever stand him as your bodyguard? I know he had to do the same while protecting you. Come to think of it, at least he wasn't always glaring at you... right?"  
  
Relena laughed at the question. "Of course he did. He glared at everyone, all the time. It takes a while to get used to, but not that long. Only took me a year." shrugging, Relena went through the piles of work.  
  
"A whole year? The council wants to pass this one. I can't stand it for THAT long! Errm, he heard you were available. I'll be crazy before I catch up with the rest of my age. Midii made Trowa adopt Nightsky... wish them luck. And to think, the rest of my life is going to be stuck with him. Another bill." In the mini rant she went on, she stuck notes here and there to explain to her mother a few questioning papers and pictures.  
  
"Actually, it's only until either you get your own bodyguard, move out, he quits, I resign, or something like that. Not your whole life." Aki winced inside at her mother's rambling out loud. After all, she was only complaining for the fun of it. She didn't really mind Heero. Just when he was stalking her. She WAS the person trying to get them together in the first place.  
  
"Right. I brought some music I found in your room. Why don't you ever play them?"  
  
"Music distracts me. Besides, Heero wouldn't let me keep it on if I tried."  
  
"Ah, I forgot, the stoic soldier has no place for music... wait he was listening to mine two weeks ago, right after you left." Her mother was now looking at her oddly.  
  
"You're kidding." Aki shook her head. "Well then, you have to tell me about it. What did you do?"  
  
"He was either bored or desperate. But... not so bad as to let me show him how to dance..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
She returned almost four hours after that. Her mother had insisted that she fill her in on all the little things going around that she had missed, and in return, she told Aki about all the things she had seen. This, of course, was nothing new to Aki, but she stayed and listened anyway. The only new thing to her was when her mother had told of the three old beggars on the corner, and how her mother had gone a bought them soup.  
  
This disturbed Aki. Relena had been careless; she could've been hurt of kidnapped, but what counted was that she was okay. Reminding herself that her mother could take care of herself, Aki had walked out a little worried but without going into a rant about how she should be more careful. No need to anyways, she would be coming back in two days.  
  
"Four hours to deliver a message?" glancing over, Aki wasn't surprised to see Heero around the corner she had been passing. True, this had been the longest she'd been out, but she hadn't thought about suspicion.  
  
"New meeting place everytime. This one's a bit longer." She began to walk away but he grabbed her wrist.  
  
"She's nearby, isn't she?" Aki looked into his blazing eyes, bored. Instead of looking straight into them, she concentrated on something behind him. Before she had been adopted, she knew the dangers of staring straight into his cold steely eyes. It was like walking into a trap.  
  
"Haven't you learned? You aren't going to get any information out of me. Besides, she's coming back soon." Her eyes instinctly focused to the person infront of her, and the spell of fear started to take over. But, she closed her eyes and looked away. "Let... Go." His grip was hard, and she was sure it was either going to break or be black by tommorrow.  
  
"How soon?" Yanking at her wrist, Aki managed to get him to loosen his grip, but only enough as to not hurt her.  
  
"Soon enough." After another rough grasp, Heero completely let go of her. Well, her wrist that is. "Ugh!" her hair was being pulled, rather jerked, hard. It was clear that Heero had lost his patience.  
  
"Tell. Me. Now." Her head was jerked to face him, and his eyes burned with fury. Never before had she pissed him off soo much. Now, she truly understood fear, for that split second. A hand came up and slapped him on the left side of the face. Surprised, Heero let go of her hair.  
  
"Watch it. My mother won't like that." She pushed him, and ran off.  
  
Heero sat stunned at what had happened. He had no idea what had possessed him to do what he did. Come to think of it, what was holding him back anyway? Looking at the door, he wished for Relena to come back right then, and for all this to end.   
  
Unbeknownst to him, Aki had actually gone off to spy. She watched as Heero stared pleadingly at the door, and crossed her arms before actually going to her room. 'So he's finally realized it.' looking back, she sighed and walked through her doorway. Now to convince her mother... or maybe Heero could do it for her. But a plan B never hurt anyone.  
  
Looking towards where Heero would still be staring at the door, Aki grabbed her notebook and labelled a few pages plan B, C, D and E. Maybe and actual plan A would be needed too.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Looking up at the huge door, a small, delicate figure breathed in and out to calm herself, and walked in. To a waiting Aki and Heero.  
  
"Welcome back Mom." Aki went and gave her a one handed hug. Relena hugged her back briefly before letting her back away. Smiling she went up to Heero and bowed slightly.  
  
"Evening Heero, it's nice to see you again." He grunted in answer. Shrugging at her daughter, she walked up with her suitcase in hand, being guided and aided slightly as she walked. Before she disappeared behind the corner, Aki shot a short glare at Heero. The guy just didn't know...  
  
"Is there anything I should be warned about?" Her mother's voice snapped her out of her reverie.  
  
"Wufei." This was all she said, and all she needed to. But then again, like she didn't already know, her mother that was.  
  
"I thought as much." They grinned at each other and walked into Relena's room. Unpacking, Aki wondered if Heero would ever try anything. But then again, her mother needed to realize it too. That one day at the courts was all Aki needed. Adults were so full of pride.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"What are you trying?" the rough, grumbling voice sounded from Aki's bedroom door. She hadn't been expecting this one, so she had practicall jumped two feet, while she was sitting down.  
  
"What do you mean?" Looking at the door, she was surprised to see Heero right close to her face. Stuttering, she pulled back a bit. Did he have to be so... blunt?  
  
"You're up to something. I know about scheming people like you. I know how to read you, and you're planning something." His eyes flashed with something dangerous, and Aki slipped off her bed.  
  
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just trying to be a good daughter. Don't you accept me? Or is there something you don't like about me?" Trying her best to put on an innocent act, she tried to shame him into backing down. Every bit she knew about acting was put to the test with this bodyguard. Who knew how to penetrate him? Maybe her mother...  
  
"You're a good liar, but even that can't fool me. There is something I don't like, and that's the odd feeling you're up to something. It's been a month since you came here, and that's long enough for me to tell. AND, what is with that double personality of yours? Last thing we need is another Une." If only she could hearhim now...  
  
"Double personality? I really don't know what you mean. What double personality?" cocking her head to one side, she looked at him questionably. Well, as questionably as she could act.  
  
"First, you're this withdrawn, child, female version of me, then you're the happy-go-lucky type. Ying and Yang, almost. You can't tell me you haven't realized it too. You're smarter than that. You got Relena away and fooled me. AND you're confusing me with all these little things you're making me do, like that day in the training room."  
  
Much to his surprise, she began to giggle. "I think that's the most I've ever made you speak!" Realizing it was true, he pulled back and growled.  
  
"Tell me now." she stopped laughing and stared at him a little coldly, before seemingly shrugging it off.  
  
"Sheesh. Are you ever going to stop telling me to tell you something? When Mother was away, all you wanted was for me to tell you where she is. Now, that she's back, you want me to tell you about god knows what. Next thing you know, you'll be asking about her 'day'. Shouldn't you be able to hack into some database and find out everything you want? I mean, you are the perfect soldier." she paced, throwing her words around carelessly.  
  
"You overestimate artificial intellingence. Not even the most complicate and thorough of computer programs could possibly tell me your personality." She stopped and looked at him. It looked almost as if she was considering his words.  
  
"Well... make one." She was daring him, anyone could tell. What was she up to? "I mean, I bet you could change that." Looking straight into his eyes, she raised both of her eyebrows. Heero just stood there, confused.  
  
"What would be the purpose of that?" He blinked as she drew her head back and began pondering again.  
  
"I dunno. I just thought it would be interesting. I mean, nothing big, just your closest friends. It'll probably be easy, just start with the person closest to you and work outward."  
  
"And the person closest to me would be...?"  
  
"My mother." He raised an eyebrow at her and she shrugged. "I had a gut feeling you were going to ask me that. I mean, you'd want to know what I think about you, so you'd ask me whom I thought was closest to you. And was I not right?" He grunted. "That's right."  
  
"Now, let's start. What do you know about my mother?" He didn't answer, so she sighed and flopped on the bed. "Well, you know that she's the Vice Foreign Minister, a very important role in the world. You know she's opened an orphanage, hospitals, homes for the old, helped creating houses, and a lot of other things. So that proves she's kind, and giving, and generous. Now, what else do you know?" he grunted again.  
  
"Okay then. Ummm... She lives in her mansion, with her closest friends being her mother, Pagan, me, and you." He raised an eyebrow when she had mentioned him. "Oh, come on, you know you're at least her friend. You aren't just another bodyguard. You two have a history together, have talked, and you've always been a shoulder to lean on for the right things. I mean, you do think of her as a friend, right?" Yet another grunt. "That's right. Now, some other friends are Duo, Hilde, Trowa, Midii, Catherine, Quatre, Dorothy, Wufei, Sally, her brother Zechs, and her sister in law Noin." she looked over at Heero to continue, but he had grown silent.  
  
"Okay, so she likes roses, blue, white, her friends and family, her job, the Earth, riding, and lots of other stuff. She's really nice, and even buys soups for old beggars. She's tall, all the way up to your chin or so, an-" she wa interrupted when Heero just stood up and left. She watched him go, and didn't even call after him. Shrugging, she sat up and looked out the window.  
  
"Well, that was an unexpected twist."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
.... This chapter feels so rushed... but then again, I wrote it in... 3 or so hours. Maybe no I have some free time... 


	10. Strange, 10 13

Disclaimer: don't got the money, plain and simple.  
  
AN: Yay! Guess what? 30 reviews!! YAY!!!! Also, it's already chapter 10! Man, those last ones just flew by, phew! Now, one last thing before continuing, I need a few ideas on how to get Relena to realize her feelings. Feel free to stick some in your reviews, or even e-mail me! Thanks, and R&R please!  
  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Heero grumbled as he flipped through yet another notebook, only to find nothing. Picking up the last one, he noticed it was a diary, and pulled out his lock-picking set. But when he heard the click, he opened the book to see a note.  
  
'Nice try, to whomever tried looking in here. You should've known so much better.  
  
-Greyhound'  
  
"Damn" His eyebrow twitched and slamming the book down, he began to look through the other drawers. He had been searching Aki's room all day now, looking for any clues of what she could've been up to. She had gone to school for the first time today, having finished catching up with the rest of her age group. Even Heero had to admit, she soaked it all up like a sponge. Come to think of it, he heard Pagan go out to pick her up almost five minutes ago.  
  
Quickly, Heero rushed around, trying to get everything in order. Her bedsheets were all over, and her books and such were discarded on the ground. He couldn't remember how much longer it would take for her to get back, being as frustrated as he was, not getting anything. He'd have to start again on Monday, since the weekend would be the next day. The limosine pulled into the driveway, and Heero placed the last notebooks in the drawers carelessly, hoping that smart little kid wouldn't figure it out.  
  
Sticking his gloves into his pockets roughly, he walked out and past the stairs just as Aki was about to start climbing them. Perfect timing.  
  
"Hey, Heero!" Not so perfect situation. "When are you picking up my mom? I thought she should be home by now." A worse situation. "Oh, you forgot, didn't you?" She must've seen his surprised face, as her tone was a teasing one.  
  
"Hn." He walked to his room and picked up his keys before rushing off to pick up Relena fron her meeting... Across town.  
  
Aki watched Heero in amusement as he ran around, and nearly stumbling getting his shoes on. 'Good, he's gone.' Running to her mother's room, she did a once over to find a drawer full of pictures her mother had kept from before she had been brought here.  
  
There were several of the whole gang together, and a few of the couples. She saw a few of Heero and her mother being pushed closer together by the others, and another one of everyone, except her Uncle Milliardo, cheering them on, led by Duo. There was even one of them looking away from each other as they danced together towards some mistletoe.  
  
She'd have to confront Duo and the other pilots if she wanted to figure this out. Maybe another sport incident.  
  
There was the sound of a car door shutting, so Aki had no choice but to run into her room and do her homework. Well, that or plan instead of working. There was still the matter of getting to Duo and them.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Relena poked her head into her daughter's room to check to see if she was there. All day, when she wasn't at a meeting or working, she had been wondering about Aki's sister, Arika.  
  
"Yeah Mom?" Relena was snapped out of her thoughts by this, having zoned out a bit when she looked in. Her daughter was looking at her, a bored expression on her face and her homework scattered across the bed she was sitting on.  
  
"Good afternoon Aki, how was school?" Walking in, Relena was surprised to see Aki yawn. She sat down beside the girl and smiled. "Boring, huh?"  
  
"Sorta, they covered a lot of things I already knew. But I met a few people who seemed interested in me, friendship-like, but I have a feeling it's because the teachers all told them that I was your daughter. How did you get through school, when all the kids wanted was to be known as a celebrity's friend?" Relena sighed, knowing what her daughter was talking about.  
  
"You are wise beyond your years, Aki. I didn't know until I met the pilots and everyone else in the war. They never followed me around, trying to be like me, and still made me feel wanted. But then again, I generally ignored the girls who tried to become my friend that way. I suppose it's because of how you lived before..." she trailed off, seeing the dreamy expression on her daughter's face. "You miss them, don't you?" Relena stated. Her heart dropped a little at the thought of taking her daughter back; she was the best thing that had happened since the war.  
  
"Yes, I do, and worried. I can't help but let my guardian instincts take over every now and then, but I know Christie's taking care of them. She never backs down on her word." Forcing a smile, she tried to get her mother back from her own faraway look.  
  
"Aki..." The girl looked at her mother nervously, what was she considering? Her voice was so... distant. "I know you might not want to talk about this right now, but I want to know about your sister. Who was she, what was she like?"  
  
Aki sighed in relief. She had thought her mother wanted to send her back. "No, it's okay, I really don't mind. Let's see now..." Closing her eyes, Aki pictured her sister's smiling face in her head. "Arika, she was... like an angel. She always laughed and giggled, and loved to play with the younger ones. She loved to play small pranks too, and always managed to put a smile on everyone's faces. I remember her singing, too. She was wonderful at it, and even taught Chantelle some tricks. Everyone in the gang loved her, and loved to be around her.  
  
"But no one ever got too close. If someone tried something too intimate, I'd get in the way. You see, my guardian instincts were first formed by my sister. I always knew she was too open, and that hurt you if you weren't careful. So I began acting like her bodyguard. Even though we don't know who came first or second, I was considered her older sister. No one dared get on my bad side, because I could do anything whenever I wanted, but Ari always kept me back. We were like complete opposites, and it was funny when we realized our names were just the other's switched around.  
  
"But back to her. She was always so different from me. Come to think of it, we weren't even completely identical twins either. Now, I know that many babies are born with blue eyes, but with Ari, it was different. My eyes were blue too, but as we grew, and I became more quiet, my eyes turned into a dull gray, while her stayed the bright blue. I don't know how or why it happened, but it just did. That was why we called her Blue Angel. Really fitting.  
  
"Then there was me, Greyhound, like the dog that hunted well. I was kind of like that, hunting people down that tried to hurt anyone I knew and threatening them slightly the first time round. Quite frankly, there was never a second time. We were complete opposites, but were the closest in the gang. But there was always the time when I'd let myself go around her, and we'd be practically the exact same, except for the eyes of course." Aki finally stopped and looked up at her mother. "Is that all?"  
  
Relena was quite taken by the story, and surprised at the unusual situation these two were in. One practically identical twin with gray eyes, and another with blue. It was an odd thing to hear about. It was the first time it was ever heard of, she was sure.  
  
"Yes, that's all, but I must admit, it is very odd about the eye colour." Aki nodded in agreement and turned back to her homework. Relena suddenly felt tired and slumped against her daughter.  
  
"Mother?" Looking at the older woman slumped against her, Aki smiled. "Doesn't matter, you're not in my way." she whispered to no one in particular, knowing that her mother was already asleep.  
  
~*(Heero's POV)*~  
  
I know it's probably not possible, though it most likely is, but I'm pretty sure that Aki's following in Duo's footsteps, and trying to get Relena and me together. In fact, I have the feeling that Duo is the one planning this all. But then, it probably wasn't Duo, because he always tried to clear my mind, whilst Aki is confusing me. She drops these obvious hints, but there's something about her that still makes me doubt she's plotting for what I think she is.  
  
I mean, the kid is smart, and for all I know, she's trying to push me away from Relena. But for hell's sake, she even asked me if I loved her, or was it liked? But she still looks like she hates me, and always has that arragant smirk on her face everytime I storm away, confused and frustrated. And for those weeks Relena was gone, she never made us talk about her. Instead, she tried her best to ignore me. Come to think of it, I must've mentioned Relena more than she ever has in her entire life. And thought about her....  
  
Damn! If she is trying to get us together, I have to admit, it's starting to work. Even today, when I was driving her back from that meeting, I noticed how much like a woman she looked like. And how soft her lips are, and her slender shoulders, and her golden, beau-  
  
Shit! I'm doing it again! Ever since that day at the tennis courts, Aki has been dropping quite a few hints, but also over the longest periods of times. Maybe she isn't that smart, after all, she's only thirteen. Maybe she's just trying to get me confused, since she seems to enjoy it so much. If she is, I'm definately getting some side affects. But then again, she tricked me, bad, and hid Relena from me all too well.  
  
She must be smarter than she looks, she's just so good at it. But Aki's friggin thirteen! How does a thirteen year old confuse me so much? She's hiding so much, and won't give me enough to figure this out. What the hell is she trying to hide though? She must be trying something, or else I wouldn't be so confused. But then again, she seems to be opening up to Relena quite a bit. Maybe she just doesn't accept me, and trying to make me suffer.  
  
Damn you Duo, you got me paranoid now. Shit. I gotta go check on her now.  
  
~*(Aki's POV)*~  
  
Heero's at the door. And he's glaring at me pretty bad. What an idiot, he's making it so much easier for me to read him by trying harder to keep himself a mystery. He should just act cool, and make it seem like nothing's happening. Like me. Even with him glaring daggers at me, I only spared him a glance and went back to work. I would've shrugged my shoulders too, but my mother's still asleep.  
  
But I still gotta wonder, did Heero already figure out that I might be trying something more than just annoying him? I mean, of course he would've figured out I was trying something, I practically told him to his face to admit to liking, or even loving, my mother. He's probably confused. I've been keeping these little discussions so discreet that I seems like all I'm trying to do is piss him off when he pisses me off.   
  
But now that he's probably figured it out, I'm going to have to think of something. Do I continue what I'm doing, or do I stop? I'll continue, since he might think something of it if I stop. But if the ex-pilots went this slow, he might know.   
  
I really have to talk to them, but they never really come by enough, unless there's a probalem. When will they be meeting next... maybe at Preventor HQ. My mother's going there soon, and with luck, Duo will be there too. I doubt anyone else will be willing to tell me. Trowa probably wants out of this now that it hasn't worked, and Quatre? I doubt it. Wufei? I nearly burst out laughing at the thought. There was absolutely no way. But Duo will, I'm sure. He's close friends with both of my parents, and I'm sure there's that last flame of hope left in him.  
  
That or he'll want to see me fall flat on my face with this. But then again, it's already close to November, and Christmas will be coming soon. I've already heard that every family will be coming here for the event. But that's two months away, can this really be left undiscussed until then? I wonder.  
  
Christmas... my first Christmas with everybody, and Chantelle will be there too. It'll be nice to see if she has anything I haven't heard about the orphanage. I'd like to go up there for Christmas too, but my mother's much too busy. And I doubt they've got the room on that colony to room with everyone just so Chantelle and I can visit our old gang. But still, I miss them. And I haven't heard from quite a few of them.  
  
I wonder how everyone is doing, Even after Trowa adopted Chantelle, I haven't gotten the chance to talk to her at all. Not even a small phone call. Listening, I hear the faint rustle of Heero's clothing. So he's still there. But besides that, it's quiet. I wonder what this place would be like when they all came. I can barely imagine it bustling with noise.  
  
Closing my eyes, I try my best to see this large mansion filled with large lights and dancing people. The halls filled with decorations and the light providing them with warmth as cold snow fell outside. But, finally, I can't see it. It's practically impossible. Sighing, I turn back to my work and begin solving more questions. My shoulder feels weary and I remember my mother is still asleep on it. What made her so tired in the first place?  
  
~*(Exit Aki's POV)*~  
  
Rather short, but I can't think of anything else. I'm depressed right now, because my little brother told me to record something, but forgot to tell me that the video currently in the VCR was a home video, from when I was four or so. So I inadvertantly recorded over that, and I'm pretty depressed right now. What a way to end a day. Well, R&R please (and thankyou) 


	11. Normal, 10 26

Disclaimer: don't got the money, plain and simple.

AN: Well, I'm back from my break! I turned thirteen this Friday and I am sooo happy!! Now I'm officially old enough to sign up with some of the websites, and get into chats... and other stuff, but what does that matter? I'm happy, life is good, and I got a bunch of great marks on my assignments. My teacher even wanted to keep some of it. Now, on with the story!!

Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 11

"And this one is a favourite of mine. It's called Shake Your Tail feather." As the music began to play, Aki watched in amusement as her mother began to take a liking to the song and moved a bit to it. They were taking a break, and but the days had become too cold to go out riding, so Relena had requested to see some of Aki's music. At the moment, she was currently was really liking the rap songs, and some dance tunes.

"This is fun, I should do this more often." They laughed as Heero came in. "Hi!" he looked at her, surprised, as he took in the Vice Foreign Minister, dancing slightly In her seat. She looked like she was chewing gum, and her normally neat hair was rather messy. She and that she-devil girl of hers were still moving slightly.  
  
"Come in, come in!" He glared at the little girl, not failing to pick up the mocking tones in her voice. She was so irritating.  
  
"Relena?" The woman stopped abruptly and looked at him, then at herself, before blushing and letting her hands fall to her sides, then go to fix her hair. Aki, on the other hand, looked annoyed at this.  
  
"Way to ruin a good time." She crossed her arms and pouted. Heero took this chance to compare her to the mischievous, quiet one, and nearly gaped at the difference. Come to think of it, the other side hadn't really shown up much the past few days, never mind do anything. Had she given up? Or maybe just planning?  
  
"Oh, anyway Mom, when were you going to the Preventer's Headquarters?" Relena looked at her questioningly. In his head, he quietly will Relena not to tell her, nor let her go, because he would be going too. It was the routinely check up and Relena and him had to attend. They needed to give them both blood tests and everything to make sure everything was going right.  
  
"Actually, I'm going next week." Damn her. Damn it all. "Why? Do you want to come?" Hell no…  
  
"Do you mind? I'd love to." Heero cursed continuously in his head. She was definitely planning something; it wasn't hard to figure out.  
  
"Sure, as long as you don't get in the way. I'll take you every time I go, if you want." Aki grinned and Heero groaned inwardly. This wasn't going to be good.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Sitting in her desk that day, Aki was jolted out of her thoughts when a piece of paper fell right in front of her. The part facing her had her name written across it, and curiously, Aki began to unravel it.  
  
 'Aki,   
  
You are invited to Dawn's Birthday Party!!'  
  
Blinking, she looked over to the blonde girl a few seats behind her. Dawn saw her and smiled, then waved her hand. A little awkwardly, Aki lifted to fingers, her middle and index ones, and gave them a little wave towards the smiling girl behind her.  
  
 'Why would she invite me?' Slumping back in her seat to pretend to listen to the teacher, Aki's thoughts wandered. 'I haven't exactly been the friendliest, and I've only been here a little while. This is a new turn of events.' Sure, Dawn was a nice girl, and helpful too. Aki had often seen Dawn laughing with some of her other friends, and knew she was part of the little 'cool posse' in this school. She was also part of a few clubs, volunteered, and one of the oldest in the class. Even now, she was fourteen, unlike the others whom were thirteen.  
  
Shrugging, Aki stuffed the invitation into her pockets and decided to ask about it a little later. After class-later, that is.  
  
Sitting, and waiting, the minute hand finally turned and clicked, before the bell rang. There were murmurs of sorts as everyone filled out, but Aki stayed by her desk to catch Dawn on her way out. She recognized the address as a restaurant, a very expensive restaurant. Surely, a girl wouldn't spend so much money on someone she had barely even met. But then again, this was a private school.  
  
 "Hey Aki!" Before she had even caught a glimpse of the girl, Dawn was already trying to get to her. "Hey. I guess by the look you gave me, you got the note, right??"   
  
 "Yeah." Aki showed her the paper, and the girl grinned.  
  
 "Great, so can you come?" Aki stared blankly at the other girl. Was this some kind of trick? Or maybe it was because of her mother's position in the social ladder. Didn't take a genius to tell she was suspicious.  
  
 "I'll have to ask my Mom. But, one question." Dawn waited patiently, smiling as she did. "Why'd you invite me? You don't even know me." She laughed and walked Aki out into the hall.  
  
 "Well, I don't think you're all that bad, I mean, you get good grades, are great in gym, and have an amazing past, but I don't think you were trying all that hard to make some new friends around here, so I decided to invite you to see if you could make a few buds while you were there. Besides, we can talk about it when we're doing that project in science." Right, Aki had almost forgotten, Dawn and she were paired up for the science project on cells.  
  
 "I guess so. Is there anything you want for your birthday? You know, so I can get something for you, since I don't know you too well." Dawn was skipping now, and she twirled, humming slightly.  
  
 "I guess you can't ever go wrong with puzzles, books, board games, and all that stuff…" she counted the things off on her fingers as she went along, and Aki was vaguely reminded of the days when Arika and she would walk through the city.  
  
 "I guess not. Well, thanks for the Invite. I guess I'll see you later." They stopped at Aki's locker and said their goodbyes. Aki sighed in relief that she would have two more days to plan, and get stuff for the party. Then it would be another three days until her meeting with the other pilots, if they were even there. The days Saturday and Wednesday was drilled into her head as she continued through two more of her classes to lunch, not noticing anything that went on around her as she thought.  
  
That's how she met Lee.  
  
She was just walking down the hallways to the lunchroom when her light-headedness caused her to not notice the boy running towards her. A few shouts of "Watch out!" and "Look in front you!!" were heard, making her shoot her head up before her body collided with another's, slightly larger than her and hard.  
  
 "Oh, sorry, are you okay?" As her vision cleared, Aki began to make out the lines of a tall, handsome boy, presumably fifteen, with light, brown hair. He had green eyes and, against her will, Aki noted that the maroon uniforms did nothing to bring out his features.  
  
 "Oh, no, I'm okay. You alright?" he looked up and smiled a bit sheepishly.  
  
 "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about that, I should've been watching where I was going." His eyes seemed to clear up and Aki figured her had just recovered from his own daze. They looked around to study the mess they had made. There were books everywhere, (probably from him) and a lunch bag had been flung to the other side of the hallway.  
  
 "No, it was my fault. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, I should've seen you coming." She laughed, but to her dismay, it came out a bit nervously. "Here, I should help you here." Even worse, her voice had croaked and now sounding like she had a cold. She leaned to one side to reach for the closest book, but a rough, strong had grabbed hers. She _flushed_.   
  
 "No, no, you don't need to do that. What you need to do is get that lunch of yours." He pushed her arm away and began to pick up his books.  
  
 "I- uh- okay… umm, sorry about that." He smiled again and she flushed a bit more.  
  
 "No problem. I'm Lee." He held out his hand to shake. Aki took it and exchanged slight smiles. "And your name is?"   
  
 "Akira, but you can call me Aki for short." Biting down on her tongue, she wondered how she had managed to say all that without stumbling, before pushing those thought to the back of her head, but he flashed her another one of his smiles and Aki's mind went blank.  
  
Dumbly, Aki nodded her head and walked off awkwardly. Still a bit red, Aki sat down at a table in the corner of the lunchroom, where she normally sat. Then was bombarded with a huge group of girls and questions.  
  
 Apparently, Lee was the school hunk, and most of the girls admired him, mostly from afar. Aki learned about this one girl, though, who constantly flirted with him. She had long, silky red hair and nice legs, but always wore too much make up and tried too hard to catch his attention. Her name was Chloe, and she was a year older than her. Chloe always had this gang of snotty, jeweled up rich girls following her, and they did her every bidding.  
  


Then they asked questions about anything and everything they could think of, but all Aki could do was try and ignore the unmistakable glances sent her way every now and then by none other than Lee while he talked to his friends. All she wanted to do right now was get back to her own home and clear her head with some exercise.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
So… new chapter!! I hope you like it. I just got Microsoft Office again so I can finally italicize again. Yay! Well, I hope you weren't waiting too long during my little break. R&R please!


	12. Complicated, 10 28

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.

AN: Hey everyone! I just wanted to thank everyone here for reviewing for this story. I got to 40 reviews!!! This is my most popular story ^-^ Thank you so much for reviewing!! Now, let's see… just a minute to acknowledge my reviewers, and reply to the last chapter's.  
  
Computer Geek Michelle: Hey! I'm glad you came over to read this story!! Well, as promised, I've made a second story, and it should be better than the last. Thanks for your reviews and here's the next chappie!!  
  
Hououza: Yes, that did come out of nowhere, but the whole idea here is to make it seem real. I doubt the daughter of Relena could go through school long without attracting people, and there's got be some complications to her plans… or else it would seem set up, right? I'm just hoping for a realistic effect here.  
  
Queen of Shadows: Heh, yeah, that's pretty much it. And this guy's a good kid too, as you'll find out. Aki's plans are slowly changing, but you'll have to wait a while before she actually gets to Preventers… Aren't I evil? Making you wait?

  
Also, thanks to Morrighan of Crimson and Sable, Nikki, Two-bitGortez, Erinamation-limited2-nothing, Masaka ai, MC-88, the Fic Critic, Duck3, Jero, Rayo, Eienvine, Viper, Arihat and Luna-Sarita for helping my get to my best record yet. Lollipops and chocolate hugs for all!! Lol, I'm kind o hyper. And Heero may be a bit OoC here.  
  


Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 12  
  
It was odd, so very odd. Why was it, that when she was just about to break through to Heero, and start on her mother, that things were to complicate? Of course, Aki had noticed that Dawn had been watching her with a rather pitiful expression, and Lee was an older boy, so it was natural that Aki wouldn't see him. At the thought of him, she blushed.  
  
She growled and situated herself in a better position in the tree. Her thoughts were confusing. After Relena had adopted her, Aki had thought that it was all she would need. She had friends in space, a family, and was going to, someday, have a father. She also was part of the most famous family in the world, and knew the five pilots personally, and had participated in some major events in this time.  
  
But when Dawn had invited her to her birthday party, and made her feel at home, Aki had a sudden urge for more. She seemed to want to be around kids her age, and grown tiresome of the loneliness she was used to, and let Dawn drag her around, meeting new people. So far, she had met practically everyone in her junior high, and befriended a few, like Sylvester, Terran, and Saguaro. They were her best friends, besides Dawn.  
  
Sylvester was a guy, with red, short hair which hung in a messy bunch atop his head. He had deep, blue eyes, and a few freckles. The boy was a lanky one, which made him rather good in basketball. He was a rocker-style kid, and wanted desperately to grow his hair, but he stuck by his mother and left it short.   
  
Terran was also a guy, with clean-cut, dark brown hair. His eyes were brown too, which made him appear dull. Instead, he was the hyper-active one of the group, and especially loved to play practical jokes on people. He often dreamed about being an artist, so Aki made it a point not to draw around him, for fear he might act up somehow.  
  
Saguaro was a Thai girl. She, unlike Aki, was talkative, and got into everybody's business, as long as she was allowed. Everyday, she would try and get Aki to talk and every day she failed. Though, she had once made Aki say two full sentences, and was damn proud.  
  
It had all happened in three days, which was odd. It felt like weeks, though the reason was probably because she had been pestered non-stop by Saguaro, who had started right after meeting her. She wasn't exactly a pain, but Aki could probably do without her questions.  
  
And then, there was Lee. He was sweet, handsome, popular, and kind. She didn't know what was wrong with her though. Never before, whether in the face of danger, anger, work or play, had she ever felt this odd about someone. Every time he came by, Aki had the sudden urge to comb her hair, straighten her clothes, and make sure she looked perfect. She had often caught herself doing it, over and over again, but she couldn't seem to control it.  
  
Maybe someday she'd figure out how to control her nervousness, and act normal around the boy, but it was difficult. After their first meeting, he had found out he walked the same way as her, and often offered to wait with her at the corner Pagan picked her up at. Of course, she couldn't refuse _him. It was embarrassing too, sitting there talking to him when Pagan or Heero came and picked her up.  
  
The first two days, it had been Pagan, and he simply smiled. The way a grandfather would. Then, today, it was to be Heero. Pagan was much too busy, and Heero was the next most trusted person to be left with the Vice Foreign Minister's daughter. As Aki swallowed a lump out of nervousness, a voice startled here… too much.  
  
 "Penny for your thoughts?" Having been jolted out of her thoughts so suddenly, Aki lost her balance, and fell to the ground. On her way down, she felt arms encircle her waist. The lighter-than-needed brown pants of her school uniform let her feel the person's strong arms rather too easily, and everything seemed to slow as her ears and mind began to register the voice. But she was too occupied with the feel and smell of the boy holding her to really care.  
  
Luckily, Aki hadn't been too high up in the tree, and her saviour had been on the lowest branch, so the fall didn't hurt either much. What did hurt, though, was any ego Aki had in her at school, because she ended up right on top of Lee, the boy that had just been on her thoughts. What's worse, they were both too paralyzed to move; who knows who had seen them in that position.  
  
 "Gah!" after fully realizing what had just occurred, and comprehending what a mess she was in, Aki sat up quickly, hurting Lee a bit at she moved. His groan, however, brought her back to reality.  
  
 "Lee!" it sounded way too nervous for comfort. Cleary her throat, Aki tried to speak more calmly. "I'm sorry. Here, do you need some help?" Hoarse, now her voice sounded hoarse.  
  
 "No it's okay. You're not that heavy, you know." Suddenly realizing that she was straddling him, she jumped back and sat on the ground, on her knees, blushing madly, and staring intensely at the ground. 'shit shit…" she repeated it over and over in her head. 'Somebody… save me…'  
  
 "Umm… Lee, may I ask you why you were in that tree?" Her blush was fading, and he was getting up. Soon, she would have to look at him. Aki prayed that her blush would disappear by then.  
  
 "Actually, I was just looking for you. You know, so that we could walk together to that corner where you get picked up. I was looking around when I saw you in that tree." Finally, it was gone, and Aki looked up at Lee. Truth be told, she had nearly lost herself in his wonderfully deep, strong voice.  
  
 She mentally shook her head. 'No, no, I am _not_ going to let this bother me. I am not going to dream about him, nor woo over him. Calm, girl, calm.' Her breathing leveled and she looked up, to see his worried face looking down at her.  
  
 "Oh." It was short, but only because her breath had caught in her throat. 'Stupid!!' Her sister would've been proud…  
  
 His brows furrowed as he inspected her. "You're not hurt, are you? That fall seemed rough enough." He looked up to inspect the tree they had fallen out of, not noticing her internal struggle to keep calm.  
  
 "No, after all, I landed on __you. Why should I be hurt?" How could he be so calm? Didn't he know she was practically freaking out? Could he tell that she was trying her best to stay calm? Could he tell what she was thinking? At all?  
  
 He laughed, and got up to extend a hand. She grabbed it and let him pull her up, silently thanking the heavens that she wasn't so infatuated that her knees would buckle. Only make her nervous, and she already hated herself for just that.  
  
 "You know, Aki, that what I like best about you. You're stronger than the other girls. Heck, I even think you're stronger than me." They began to walk out of school grounds, and turned the corner out into the street. As usual, he talked, then waited for a response, then continued if he got none, which was often.  
  
Like now. "So… Are you going to Dawn's party?" Aki nearly stopped. She was surprised he knew about Dawn, being a year or two older and all. Then again, he was down to earth, not a snuck-up brat like some of the people in the school.  
  
 "Yeah." Lee frowned at the short response. In awe, Aki looked at his slightly golden hair as it glistened in the sun, and wanted to run her fingers through it, caressing it. She had the urge to just fall over and let him catch her, and then rock her to sleep.  
  
At realizing her own thoughts, she shook her head, mentally. 'It must be the exhaustion.' She concluded, knowing that school had taken a lot out of her this past week, what with all that had been going on.   
  
 "I am too. She invited me the other day. I guess I'll see you there." This time, Aki simply nodded. She'd have to find a way to deal with these butterflies, soon. "She said it'd be a blast, and told be to invite a few of my friends too."  
  
They finally reached the corner, and both sat down on the bench. He simply sat there, gazing at the scenery in front of him. A small wind blew through the air, making the scenario almost mystical. Then, all too soon, a black, sleek, limousine pulled up in front of them. Lee was the first to react.  
  
 "Hey, that's not your butler…" he stood up, defensively blocking me. At this, Heero rolled down his window, peering at the young boy oddly. He then looked at Aki, and then looked back at the two.  
  
 "Who are you?" Aki stood up, but was kept from stepping forward by Lee's hand.  
  
 "I could ask you the same question." They glared at each other, and Aki took this as the cue to intervene. She stepped in between the two and smiled nervously at Lee. She could've sworn she had seen some kind of reaction from him.  
  
 "Lee, this is Heero, my mom's bodyguard, and at times, mine too. Heero, this is Lee, he goes to my school." Introductions over, Aki began to clear up the confused look on Lee's face. "My butler, Pagan, was busy today, so Heero came instead. I'm sorry, I should've warned you." She opened the door, shifted her bag slightly.  
  
 "I suppose I'll see you at Dawn's birthday party, won't I?" He smiled and nodded as she slipped into the car. Heero and Lee exchanged glares one last time before he stepped back and let Heero drive off.   
  
 "I don't think Relena would approve of you having a boyfriend and not telling her." This was going to be a long ride home.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 "For the last time, he is __not my boyfriend. He is a schoolmate who happens to walk the same way as me and doesn't like to see girls waiting all by their lonesome." Aki flexed her hands in exasperation and walked around the corner, to the kitchen.  
  
 "What's this I hear about a boyfriend?"  
  
 "Gah!!" Before they knew it, Relena and Aki were standing, facing each other, one with a sly look, the other with an annoyed look. Aki's shoulders slumped at the thought of having to explain the whole thing over again.  
  
 "There's this guy at school, named Lee. He's like, you know, one of the popular guys, and he's nice. He walks with me to the corner where Pagan picks me up and waits with me. Well, today, Heero saw him and now, apparently boys whom act nice are immediately considered your boyfriend. He was just being nice!"  
  
She grabbed an apple and walked up to her room, closing the door behind her. After she walked out, though, Heero came in. He was met, face to face, with a stern Relena.  
  
 "That's not very nice, teasing her like that." He looked at her blankly. After blinking twice, consecutively, Relena's shoulders slumped and she began to laugh. He continued to look at her.  
  
 "Jeez, Heero, you know how odd that is when you do that?" She gave a tinkling laugh and did a crude imitation of him, before laughing again. After recovering, she patted his shoulder light-heartedly and lightly nudged him across the hallway, into the living room.  
  
 "Come on, let's go watch some TV." She strode off, nearly skipping, leaving Heero to wonder what had her so happy today. No work maybe?  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Whoa, I wrote out a few chapters to stall a few events, but I didn't think the stall would be this long! There's going to be another chapter, Dawn's party, and if I can write a whole chapter there, I'll have the meeting at Preventers the chapter after that. A bit longer until I can add some action into it!! Well, R&R please! _


	13. Party, 11 01

Disclaimer: *sitting on bed* Nope, I don't got nothing here. *muffled sounds come from under the bed and a hand shoots out before I stick it back it* nothing here, so you can go now.

AN: *GAPES* holy crap… 50 reviews!! Already!! I got nine or so reviews for one chapter! Thank you!! Keep it up ^-~  
  
Special note to Hououza: Don't worry, I know that things are drifting away from what I first started, but I'll head right back to the main plot after this chapter. Remember, this is only partly romance, since I'm not exactly professional at full romance. These few chapters are vital for later effects in the story. You'll understand when we get there, just have patience.  
  


Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 13  
  
 "Thank you so much for letting me come!" Dawn jumped excitedly at the door of the Peacecraft mansion, ignoring the stunned look Aki gave her. The door was set ajar only slightly, and Dawn strained to look into the home her friend lived in. "I've never seen a place so big before! Let me in! Let me in!!"  
  
 Quite wearily, Aki let go of the large, white door and let her friend push her way in. The little blonde all but ran in and looked around with large, bright eyes. She took in the exquisite designs and tiles that made up this household and watched as maids and servants passed by.   
  
 Still staring, she couldn't help but jump at the big, burly young man that walked by the hallway behind the office, and stop to look straight at her, than to the girl behind her. Though, she never noticed. Dawn's attention was captivated by his unruly brown hair and deep, penetrating eyes. She didn't even notice that the man was moving until he had disappeared behind the office with the hallway. That was when Dawn realized that Aki had placed a hand on her shoulder and was speaking. Unfortunately, Aki hadn't failed to notice her friend's behaviour.  
  
 "Come on! Stop gaping at my bodyguard and let's go meet my mother." Dawn stuttered, but Aki only smiled. "Don't think I didn't see that, you were practically drooling. Blushing, she followed as Aki showed her a few rooms and her personal bedroom. Then, leading her down the hall, she opened large, oak doors that lead to what she perceived to be the study.  
  
 Rows of books lined the wooden walls, which became a furry, green material about waist length. The green stuff practically melted into the carpet, in the center of it being a gray pattern. The ceiling was also green, making the room remind Dawn of a pool table. Opposite of the doors were huge windows, with more green drapery hanging off of it. In front of it was a wooden desk, with a few piles of paper beside each other in the corner. Sitting at the desk, head bowed, was a massive head of blonde hair, which was easily identified as the one woman Dawn had as an idol.  
  
 "Working again Mother?" The Vice Foreign Minister lifted her head and smiled, noting the extra company in the room. She stood, as elegantly as Dawn had anticipated.  
  
 "Yes, I only have a bit today though. Now, Aki, where are your manners? Introduce us." She said, gesturing to Dawn.  
  
 "Of course," She smiled and gestured to Dawn too. "Mother, this is Dawn. Dawn, this is my mother, Ms. Relena Dorlain Peacecraft."  
  
 Relena held her hand outstretched, waiting for the girl to shake it. She did so, very clumsily and awkwardly. At this, the young woman smiled. "Please," the blonde girl jolted at the sound of her voice. "Don't be nervous. After all, despite what everyone believes, I'm just another young woman." She smiled, and the girl managed a weak one to exchange.  
  
 The slight creak of the door indicated the arrival of another person. A grunt told Relena and Aki that it was Heero, though it only confused Dawn. Relena was the first to speak.  
  
 "Heero, this is Dawn, Aki's friend." She looked at him and indicated that he should shake her hand, though all he did was grunt and stand in his corner, watching all of them carefully. This officially freaked Dawn out, though it didn't seem to affect the other two in the room.  
  
 "What brings you in here? Usually, you just hang around the house… quite unusual, isn't it?" Aki first questioned Heero, then Relena. Relena smiled but Heero grunted, again. "Well… I better get going Mom, I'll see you later."  
  
 "I'm escorting you." Aki, whom was bout to walk away, froze mid-stride. She pivoted, and glared at Heero.  
  
 "What!?" Dawn jolted at the sound of it. "I have to be stuck with you? For how long? And why?" She asked, exasperated. "You know very well I can take care of myself."  
  
 "Orders. I'll have to stay through the entire party. I know you can take care of yourself against one man, but you are the daughter of a very important social figure, and if they want you, they will not just send one."  
  
 Fuming, Aki stormed into the hallway with Dawn in tow. "Figures. If there was anything I hate about this life, it's that you are the first priority. Go here or there, there has to be a bodyguard somewhere. Need this, need that, there's a servant on your beck and call." She then turned to Dawn. "Sorry about all this, you probably don't want _him trailing us as much as I do, but as long as I'm daughter of the Vice Foreign Minister, I have to have someone babysitting me."  
  
 She grumbled, very annoyed at the fact that she couldn't get time to herself. Dawn saw this and tried to lighten the mood.  
  
 "Oh well… I bet some of the girls would love to meet him, and that'll keep him out of our hair, for a bit." Aki laughed.  
  
 "True, but I don't know if they'll survive his glares." There was a pause before Aki laughed. "Actually, I doubt if they'll even notice it while they swoon over his abs and muscles." Dawn laughed with her, and followed Aki down to the awaiting limo.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 The party was big. The entire restaurant had been rented out, Dawn being rather rich herself. Aki was introduced to everyone, big and small. Sure enough, some of the girls swooned over Heero, though some simply gave him a few glances. They flirted the best they could, but the stoic bodyguard didn't spare them a glance, even with some of the older woman.  
  
 Over in the opposite corner were Aki and Dawn. They watched in amusement as Heero tried to ignore everyone winking at him, apparently annoyed. It wouldn't be long before he went outside to be alone or something.  
  
 "So Dawn, why is it that you aren't over there with them." Aki teased, giving her friend a nudge. Dawn just looked at her.  
  
 "Ha ha, Aki. That was so funny, I forgot to laugh." But Aki looked back at her, apparently remembering the little scene back at the mansion. "Okay, so he is rather, cute, but… he's way too old for my tastes. One..." she glanced at Aki, "or two years is okay, but six? No thanks."  
  
 The black haired girl looked at her friend nervously. "Why did you pause?" Mischievous glint shone in Dawn's eye, and she grinned. Quickly, her eyes darted to the doors, where a young boy just entered, looking around as if trying to spot someone. Aki flushed.  
  
 "Besides, I think him and your mother would look absolutely adorable together… you did say she was a miss, right?" Well, that was something she hadn't been expecting. Aki was close to telling her about her little plan, when Lee came in.  
  
 "Hi Aki!" She silently thanked him for stopping her. "Hi Dawn! Happy birthday." He handed her a small package and smiled as she excuse herself. After she left, he sat on the table with her.  
  
 "Hi Lee." Over the past day, Aki had slowly begun to get used to the fact of talking to Lee, without stammering. Damn her antisocial behaviour.  
  
 "Hi, how are you?"  
  
 "Fine. How about you?" He made a small grunt, and an unusual awkward silence followed. He lay back, watching the ceiling intently while Aki squirmed a bit. She wasn't used to be so close to him; the closest they ever were was a respectable distance on a bench. Here, however, he was practically lying on her lap. And there was no way she was going to keep sane that way.  
  
 "Hey, Aki?" He sat up to face her. He didn't continue until she was looking at him. "I…" the lights dimmed and music started playing. He seemed to be relieved by this. "You wanna dance?" It was quickly said, so much that Aki had barely even caught it. Dumbly, she nodded her head. His hand came shooting out, taking her small, insecure one, and leading her on the dance floor.  
  
 It was a waltz. The song played without words, and the room began to spin according to her feet's movement. Of course, the scene was rather unfinished by the casual clothing they wore, but it seemed almost unreal at the time. Aki's long, soft hair twirled as they danced, Lee with a slightly stubborn look on his face, peering intently into her eyes. Transfixed as she was, though, Aki's exterior seemed cool and collected, a mirrored stubborn look on it too. Their eyes watched each other's intently.  
  
 The rest of the crowd watched the seemingly perfect couple dance.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 Heero looked inside curiously as music began to play. He recognized it as a waltz, and was reminded of something, tugging at him at the back, most distant corners of his mind. His eyes lingered, watching the younger kids dance elegantly. So times hadn't changed that much. Heero had surprised himself with the thought.  
  
 Hadn't changed since when? He struggled with a rising memory, hiding just below the accessible part of his mind. What was it that this scene reminded him of? A birthday party, waltzing, music, a large building, and kids dancing about. He looked back into the building, and saw that kid that was with Aki yesterday. Actually, he was with Aki now too… hadn't she told him about the kid?  
  
 His name was Lee… and was Chinese, maybe. And he was fifteen too…  
  
 Fifteen… old memories of the first days on earth came rushing back to him, and his first encounter with someone here. 'Relena…' A lingering image of the younger Relena's face, watching him worriedly, came back to him. Just then, everything came back to him. The birthday party, Relena's birthday party. They were fifteen, and dancing the waltz, and he had promised to kill her.  
  
 He looked back into the building, and saw Relena's daughter and that boy dancing, nearly picturing himself and Relena there, gazing at each other. Their expressions were the same too, a rather stubborn look on the both of them. Their heads were slightly bowed, and Aki's hair was swaying too… the only difference was that they weren't Relena and him.  
  
 A dimly lit room, a crowd of people, music, and hushed voices drifting out as some left the building. Or came in. He looked around frantically, hoping not to find a man or woman, driving off much too fast to be unsuspicious. He didn't find that.  
  
 But there was a man, aiming a rifle, right at him, from atop a building. Lastly, the sound of a bullet being shot from it echoed the streets.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
*Looks up at what she wrote* That wasn't supposed to be in there, but it would certainly help with a few things here. I wonder if any of you figured out where I got the waltzing scene from before reading Heero's little section. Now… that's all for now (aren't I evil) and I hope you R&R! See you next time!_


	14. Beginnings, 11 05

Disclaimer: Today, I _might've _seen a bug blow up under a microscope… but I never saw my name under the credits for Gundam Wing.

AN: Ah! So not fair! One more review before 60!! Oh man… so close… on more!! I should have reviewed my own story for the fun of it… Aw jeez, I'm guessing nobody really liked the cliff hangar, right? Oh boy, I know Duck3 didn't… Oh, and the little section down below I've started to add in… quite recently I've noticed a few questions and such that really shouldn't be left unanswered, so I'm just replying to questions, comments, and/or remarks.  
  
Note to Hououza: O.o that was intense? Or are you just in a guilty mood? Honestly, I wouldn't of cared if you said you hated the chapters (honesty is very respectful to me) so please stop fretting. You make it sound like you committed some kind of crime or something. Really, maybe with others writers you might have to apologize but that just makes it awkward for me.  You sound so serious… but, a bad week is a bad week. Hope you're feeling up this week!  
  
Computer Geek Michelle: Hey! It's nice to see a familiar face! Heh heh, no, cliff hangars suck but, you know, it makes the story all the more fun to write!  
  
Queen of Shadows: Yup! You got it! Exactly what I was going for! I'm glad I did it accurately. As for the sniper… *ducks for cover from her*  
  
Duck3: Ow. Heh, couldn't resist.  
  
Thanks to the rest of my reviewers! You have no idea how good it feels to open your inbox and see some reviews. Let's see how far I get this chapter. Enjoy!  
  


Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 14  
  
 Heero's first reaction was to run, but he remembered the window behind him… and the children behind it. He couldn't run, so he turned and braced himself, hoping he would still be able to move after this. He knew that the distance would help the bullet pick up speed, and the kids should not have to see the mess afterwards, but he could not let it harm anybody else.  
  
 The bullet flew through the air, and Heero swore that time slowed as it neared him, and then pierce the first layer of his leather jacket. It thing went through the second layer, and into the cotton layer, then the last, velvet layer. Although braced, he was taken by surprise by the pain that made him fly into the window, and splattered some of his shoulder across it.  
  
 He was alive, but could not move his arm. There were screams from inside the building, and Heero hated the sniper for making the kids see this. He hated them even more for handicapping him, so that he could not go after them.  
  
 "Oh my…" Aki ran to Heero, and inspected his wound. It was bad; a whole bit of his shoulder was shattered. Quickly, she searched his waistband for his gun and two-way radio. "Someone get the manager and find if anyone can treat his wound. Lee, you listen to Heero and Heero, you tell Lee how to call for back up or whatever you need." She tossed the radio to the older boy and stood up.  
  
 "What about you?" Someone from the crowd asked timidly. Looking around, Aki noticed it to be Dawn.  
  
 "Sorry about this Dawn, but you have to apply pressure to his shoulder, carefully, to try and stop the bleeding. As for me…" She trailed off as she eyed the building the bullet had been shot from. "Just take care of him." She ran across the street, not bothering to look for an open spot to run through.  
  
 Aki could hear everyone calling her name, but none came after her, which she was glad of. Determined, she skidded into the building and ran up the stairs quickly. No one hurt the people around her, and there was no way in hell she was going to stand around and wait for other Preventers.  
  
 Bursting through the last door, Aki was quick to shoot the sniper in the shoulder, disabling him from using his gun. It flew across the rooftop where Aki picked it up and tucked the smaller pistol into her waistband. The man looked at her with large, angry eyes.  
  
 "You little bitch! Look at what you did!" Aki stepped up to him and aimed the rifle towards his leg, too far away for him to strike, just like that day she had helped her mother escape.  
  
 "I know perfectly well what I did. And you now know that I will not hesitate to shoot, so I suggest you shut the hell up." Her eyes narrowed as she tightened her hold on the trigger.  
  
 "Who are you?" He began to back away, but Aki did not take this as a sign of fear. He was either trying to get up or get away.  
  
 "Stop right there. Don't move. And that is none of your concern, whom I am that is." She took out another knife, from her seemingly endless supply. "My, aren't you nice to kids. Isn't there some kind of law against hitting a girl?" She unsheathed the blade and folded her arm across her chest, before flinging the blade to her right. There was a surprised gasp and a man fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. The man at her mercy backed away, this time really in fear.  
  
 "I said don't move!" She shot the pistol dangerously close to the man, causing him to freeze, then shot behind her, hearing faint footsteps that undoubtedly belonged to yet another one of the sniper's friends. The bullet hit the woman's inner thigh and she fell quickly. "Why is it so hard for anyone to learn?"  
  
 "Aki! Enough of this." Relena stepped up through the door with Wufei, Sally and a few nameless Preventers.  
  
 "Preventers, behind her." Two shots rang out and another man fell to the ground. "The man has a knife in the stomach and the woman has a bullet through the inner thigh. This man's the sniper that shot Heero."  
  
 "Good work, but we can take it from here." Wufei stepped up to the man and knocked him out with some sleep gas. "Now… Aki, you may let go of that gun now." She didn't move.  
  
 Relena walked up to her daughter and looked into her eyes. "What wrong Aki?" She nearly stepped back in confusion at the conflict she had found. "Aki, honey…"  
  
 "I… I… What am I doing?" her grip slipped and the gun fell. It rattled on the floor and Aki fell to her knees. "This… this is bad… Mother… I need to be alone." She stood and walked down the stairs, disappearing into shadows.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 "Miss Relena?" The woman in question turned away from the doctor she had been talking to so she could face the young Preventer. "I'm sorry Miss Relena, we've checked all around the city but we couldn't find your daughter." She nodded solemnly.  
  
 "It's alright Preventer Shot, if my daughter doesn't wish to be found, she won't be." Wryly, she thought of someone else she knew who was like that.  "Go home and get some rest." The young woman saluted and walked away. Sighing, Relena turned back to the doctor. "So, how's his condition?"  
  
 "He'll be just fine, though the wound was infected slightly and he now has a slight fever. Expect your bodyguard up in about a month." He checked his clipboard again. "He also has lost quite a lot of blood. Do you have any idea why?" Relena sighed again, embarrassed.  
  
 "After he was shot… he began trying to walk…"  
  
 "What?" he looked at her, inquiring an answer. She sighed again and simply told him that it was easier if he did not know. The elderly man allowed her to go into Heero's room, but told her not to disturb him too much.  
  
 When Relena entered the room, she was intent on staying exasperated with Heero, but the second she saw him laying pale on the bed, all of her anger melted away. She gently pushed back some of his unruly bangs and stroked the length of his face. Although the doctor had said he would be okay, Relena still worried; she had only seen Heero this pale after the Marimaia incident. Then, he had been knocked out for a week.  
  
 She sat down on the chair beside the hospital bed and placed his hand in hers. Caressing the rough skin she found there Relena remembered back to the days of the war, when she had first met him. Back then, he had tried everything to kill her, now he protected her and her daughter with his life. Back then, he had been an enigma, a mystery, and Relena had been drawn to him by this. Her once regular life had just been penetrated by this boy who was like none other she knew, so she was naturally drawn to what she had not yet experienced.  
  
 That had dragged her straight into a war, with both sides blind, and she had met so many new people. And through it all, Heero had been what drove her to live, what had drove her to work for a peaceful life, for she had already acknowledged what a horrible life he and so many other kids her age had. And in the middle of it all, she had lost the most important man to her at the time.  
  
 Looking back on those days, Relena thought of how many times Heero had saved her. The Perfect Soldier… somehow, that young boy had been turned into that, and so much had been taken from him. He never had had a family, nor real friends before then, or even a real name.  
  
 Heero Yuy, the peaceful delegate that had worked side by side with her original father. Relena thought back to all the things _she_ had lost, and realized how much alike she and Heero were. They had both lived lies until the war. She, had always believed that the Dorlain family had been her true parents, but were instead once close friends to her birth parents. Heero had lived an entire life of emotionless battles, never knowing what the people outside of the war lived like, not even knowing there was a life outside of war.  
  
 They had both lived such lonely lives… Relena wondered how it was that two different lives had produced rather similar people. Then, after the war, she now realized, that their friends had seen this, and had tried to show them that there was something… something more. Relena couldn't quite figure it out, but there was something her friends had been trying to show them.  
  
 Surely, it was not love, was it?  
  
 Looking down at Heero's peaceful face, Relena realized that she felt happiness at the fact that Heero was at peace. She had always felt better when she saw that Heero was content, and would always strive to keep that look on his features.  
  
 Was it that she loved him?  
  
 Her mind went back to the day at the tennis courts… when he had nearly kissed her. He would've too if she had let them. Thinking back to that day, Relena remembered the feel of being normal. What had Heero thought of those few, precious hours of being a normal young man? Had he even thought about that day after coming back to the mansion? Had he regretted his near-mistake?  
  
 Relena's thoughts were interrupted when Heero stirred in his sleep, and awoke, rather dazed-like.  
  
 "Relena?" he bent his head to look at her, and tightened his grip on her hand. She blushed, but kept her eyes on him, a little disoriented. A smile tugged on his lips as he fell back to sleep.  
  
 Relena's other hand came up to her warm cheek and waited for it to cool as she watched Heero's breathing even out. There was just so much she wanted to ask… but that could wait.  
  
 Her head was lowered until it rested on Heero's shoulder, and she slept.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 Aki watched her reflection in the hospital's bathroom mirror. She had watched them medical crew bring Heero into the hospital, and watched as her mother went after him. She had even been watching as the Preventer had reported to her mother about not finding her, neither knowing she had been right there.  
  
 Her attention was brought back to her reflection as she glared at her own eyes. Her locket flashed, as did her eyes, and Aki closed them before leaning back on the wall next to her.  
  
 "Mother is finally starting to realize…"  
  
*~*~*~*~*

How did you like that? Hope it made up for the cliffhanger! Ugh, big news, I've got to sing for a mark in school! *blinks* Yay, how fun. Oh, and to Fic Critic, you know that first review you sent me for this story? Well… I've just realized the song I'm going to be doing is from the Annie soundtrack. How interesting…


	15. Deeper, 11 09

Disclaimer: I'll trade for a piece of paper… that I scribbled on.

AN: T'is a fine day to be writing! I'm hyper right now (Better not lay a finger on my Butterfingers!), but it's all good! Lastly, before I go to the review replies, I am very surprised to announce that it has been exactly two months after I started this story. And what a two months it has been! *looks up to her reviews and a sudden sugar rush takes place* Wow, I've never even thought I'd get more than thirty… happy times! Here's a fluffy little chapter for all!  
  
To The Fic Critic: Yes, I know, there is a lack of detail there, but I can't give anything away… you'll just have to wait to see how everything fits together in the end. Yes, I know, I'm evil… but all the better the fic.  
    Hououza: Well, it's good to know that you're doing better but… you can't even give me a hint? *pouts* just one?? Well, happy belated birthday anyways.  
    Duck3: I'm guessing you liked that one… and thanks for the luck, I'm going to need it. ^-^;  
 And to everyone else… glad you liked that last chapter!! Happy reading! *Pet dragon, Flames, pops out of nowhere* She's too hyper for her own good…

  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 15  
  
 Heero awoke that morning in an oddly white place, and his chest seemed heavier. There was also and odd numbness in his right shoulder, not to mention some things seemed a little blurry. There was certainly something wrong here…  
  
 Within a few seconds, memories began to come back. They bounded at him so quickly that his head began to spin. Groaning, he felt something stir on his chest. A head of blonde hair rose into his range of view.  
  
 "Heero? What are you doing awake? You should be sleeping!" Heero's vision cleared and he made out Relena's face. Had she slept here with him all night? He tried to sit up to see more of the room they were in, but Relena's hands and his splitting headache stopped him from doing so. He groaned again, then was surprised to see the concern in Relena's face. Though, it only lasted until she had made sure that he was okay.  
  
 "The doctor said you'd be out in a month, and I am not letting you leave this room until he says it is alright." He features softened from the stern mask she had worn only seconds before. "I don't want you getting hurt again, okay?" she sounded genuinely concerned, which he understood why, but he did know why she was pushing his bangs out of the way so… gently.   
  
 "The doctor said your shoulder was nearly blown out of its place, and will take a long to time recover, won't even heal completely either, but you'll still be able to do your job, with few difficulties. You also have a slight fever from blood loss. That will take a week or two to pass." She chuckled slightly, which made Heero wonder even more. "Knowing you though… you'll probably be breaking out of here by the end of the week."  
  
 An awkward moment of silence fell between them as Relena pulled away. Only then was when Heero realized how close she had been; he had felt her breath against his skin. He continued to watch the young blonde as she sat on his bed, absently smoothing out the wrinkles in the blanket. Suddenly, it seemed like something had just occurred to her, and she stepped onto the floor.  
  
 "I have to go, Heero, but do try and get some sleep." She smiled gently at him before walking towards the door. "Oh, and if you need anything, there a button to your side there. Just press it." Then she was out the door.  
  
 Heero laid there, a bit dazed from the fever, thinking about what had just happened. It had been unusual, the way Relena had looked at him. He could not name what it had been in her eyes that made him feel peaceful. That look she had used towards him, it had seemed warm, and something else he couldn't understand…  
  
 His musings were cut short as a presence made itself known beside him. Heero chided himself mentally for not picking up on it before it got too close. He just had to hope it wasn't the sniper coming to finish him off.  
  
 "Nice, wasn't it?" He recognized that voice as Aki's. Looking over at her, he didn't expect the guilty look on her face. He smirked a bit inside; guilty, he knew _that_ emotion.  
  
 "What?" His voice seemed ragged and dry, surprising him. Heero decided that it was best not to talk much, not that that was much of a problem…  
  
 "Love, it was nice, wasn't it?" He looked at her, knowing that the question was written plainly on his face. "The way she looked at you… that was love." She smiled lightly down at him, apparently lost in her own memories. "It's odd the first time you feel it, but you get used to it after a while..." she trailed off again. For the first time since meeting her, Heero noticed the signs of a rough life; the scars, sad, lifeless eyes, and something else he couldn't quite figure. He hadn't realized he was staring until she spoke again.  
  
 "I suppose you've finally seen the signs, haven't you?" He looked at her, surprised. It was almost like she could read minds. "I've lived through more than you realize, Heero. All orphans live through more than anyone would guess. You should know that." He didn't react; just wait for whatever was coming next. Aki seemed to know when she wasn't getting a reply.  
  
 "I guess I was kind of confused the first time someone showed me love besides my sister, after the last home I was actually in. Actually it was Mother." She smiled weakly. "It's weird when you feel it for the first time after being so cold for so long."  
  
 "Why are you telling me this?" He looked at her, though his fever was acting up again and his eyes began to blur. She smiled down at him and reached over to a bowl. After placing a soaked rag onto his head, she answered.  
  
 "To tell you not to miss out on this chance to be happy. You heard my mother, your shoulders out of commission. And there are plenty of other people to protect her, besides, you'd still be able to if you went into a relationship with her…" She hesitated a bit. "Go to sleep, your fever's acting up again." She stood up and left.  
  
 Heero stared at the door she had left through, confused. How had she known?  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 "Ms. Peacecraft, why is it that you had slept in your bodyguard's hospital room for a night? Is it possible that you have a relationship with him?" Relena groaned inwardly for her stupidity. Hadn't she thought of the consequences of not going home? These people were idiots; do one thing and they were all over you.  
  
 "Ms. Relena, i-" One of her bodyguards pushed the woman out of the café. Relena sat down and smiled at the man that had just helped her and reached for her coffee. Every single time that she accidentally did something, her bodyguards were stuck helping her out, for that she was grateful. What she wouldn't give to be human…  
  
 "Y' order plea'?" A young brunette smiled as Relena looked at her, a bit startled. "Sorry 'bout that, didn' mean to scare y'." The girl's southern accent was difficult to understand, but Relena smiled and told the girl her order.  
  
 "Y' the Vice Minister, ain't y'?" The girl said in surprise. "That'd certainly 'plain the persons outside."  
  
 "Yes, I am." Relena gave the girl a small smile, hoping that she wouldn't make a commotion.  
  
 "Wow, I be Sarah. Just been flyin' in from the states, from the deep south." She outstretched her hand for Relena to shake, which she did so courteously. The waitress then leaned in to whisper in Relena's ear. "Just betw'n y' an' me, that bodyguard of y', he be a real look'r." She winked, causing Relena's cheeks to tinge the slightest bit.  
  
 "Well, that be 'nough of my botherin' y', I s'ppose I be seein' y' on the TV sometime." She waved and walked away, leaving Relena to sit there with her thoughts. Of course, because of that simple sentence, her thoughts went back to Heero. She didn't know what had overtook her to do what she did in the hospital room, but she didn't mind it…  
  
 The Vice Foreign Minister shook her head roughly. What was she thinking? There was still the matter of finding out who Heero's would-be-assassin was. Now if only that one guy Aki had scared the hell out of would only talk…  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 When Relena walked into the hospital again, the place was filled with scurrying doctors and nurses. Worried, she went over to the closest desk to her. A young nurse stood there, talking quickly into a phone.  
  
 "Ma'am, I am going to have to ask you to leave, there is quite a bit going on here, and you may get in the way." She said when she noticed Relena. But, she ignored the nurse's words.  
  
 "What is going on here?" The nurse glared at her for a moment.  
  
 "Something is wrong with a patient. His recovery is not going as planned." Relena's mind went straight to one person. 'Heero…' She ran off, determined to get to her bodyguard/friend's room.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 Aki watched helplessly in Heero's hospital room as the Doctors hovered over him, unable to wake him from whatever was going on. Usually, it was normal for a patient with a fever to have nightmares, but Heero… for some reason, he would not wake up. He thrashed about the bed, very much alive, but no matter what the doctors did, they could not wake him from his nightmare. She mentally cried for her mother to get here soon; maybe she could help Heero.  
  
 The door burst open and the woman in question rushed in, instantly by her side.  
  
 "Aki, what happened?" Her mother's eyes darted all over the group of people, hoping to catch a glance of the man lying on the bed. Aki's locket flashed again, and a flicker of pain ran though her body, though not enough to be shown.  
  
 "Heero appears to be having a nightmare, but we can't wake him up. Sally's coming to check this out soon." There was a grunt of pain as a doctor stumbled back, most likely hit by one of Heero's limbs. Aki steadied the doctor as he moved close to her. "Mother, maybe you can do something?" Relena was one step ahead of her, and was already trying to get to Heero's side. Seeing this, Aki walked out of the room to a more secluded place, taking the doctor with her.

 Inside the room, Relena pushed through, despite the doctors' and nurses' words, and ordered them all out. She changed the cloth on Heero's forehead, and tried to soothe him by placing her hands on his chest, and moving them about in slow motions. Her fingers danced to his head, where she smoothed out his hair and cupped one of his cheeks.  
  
 "Heero, Heero, can you hear me? Heero, calm down, please…" He grunted in response, and his thrashing lessened. Taking this as a good sign, Relena encircled her arms around Heero's head and cradled it. "Shh…" He stopped thrashing altogether as Relena continued to make soothing sounds, though his face still contorted in a stressed manner. She climbed into the bed and laid his head on her thighs, smoothing out his bangs.  
  
 "Take a sample of his blood and do tests, I have a feeling he was drugged." Sally walked in and took over, not yet addressing Relena. "Get me the doctor who first did an analysis on this patient, but one of you stay here, I'd like to ask a few questions." She walked over to Relena and Heero and kneeled down beside the bed. "Relena, I want you to stay in this room at all times possible until we figure out what's wrong with him."  
  
 Relena nodded, not bothered by the fact that she was to stay by Heero's side. Sally sat down and watched as a nurse took a blood sample from Heero before looking over to the small blonde.  
  
 "He'll be alright, knowing that he's Heero." She smiled assuringly, though she wasn't quite sure of this herself.  
  
 "I know…"  
  
*~*~*~*~*

So, what did you think? Personally, it wasn't my best but… I dunno, but feed back would be nice. (even negative feedback cause I want to know how I could've done this better…)


	16. Father, 11 13

Disclaimer: I got some pyrite (fool's gold) right here, right now, if you don't take this, I'm out of ideas.  
  
AN: okay… my little musical thing is really taking some of my time… and I just found an oekaki board that has been amusing me for the last… two days. I still have to get my lazy butt up and try to do something on my website. *sigh* I'm having the time of my life. Also, thanks to everyone that gave me suggestions in my writing! And it's good to see I'm still getting new readers here! Arigatou! Oi, I'm having a bad typing day today… volleyball is _not good for the writer's wrist.  
  
To Hououza: Birthday wishes; no problem! The hint thing; your age. Now, about the whole Aki thing, instead of a sequel, I was thinking maybe a prequel, showing Aki's life before Relena came, with Arika and the gang. Though, if I do, you may have to wait a while for it because I try not to have more than two projects at a time, and I already know what I'm going to do for my next stories (I have a whole list waiting to be done ^-^).  
      The Fic Critic: Umm… *looks away innocently*  
      Queen of Shadows: Brave or stupid. J And Relena and Aki weren't there the whole time. When Aki left the room, Relena was probably still getting to the restaurant.  
Lastly, I just realized how much alike the first sentence in the last chapter and this one are. Never even planned that._

  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 16  
  
 Everything was black, so very black. But, in no time at all, the scenery began to change and Heero was looking up at Odin… the man that had started it all. He was saying something, but the Prussian-eyed boy couldn't understand what. It didn't seem like he needed to, though, because he started to walk away, the side of a big gun could be seen at his side. Men appeared out of nowhere, and there was a bang. They fell, motionless, and Heero jolted in surprise. But his body seemed unfazed, what was going on?  
  
 Suddenly, he was watching himself shoot everyone. Heero was watching a seven-year-old version of him walk around killing everyone in his path emotionlessly. He stepped back, startled, and realized how much he had changed over the years. Something inside of him had changed, and it now frightened him that anyone, nevertheless a young child, could be like _that_.  
  
 The scenery went black, then another picture appeared. This time, the walls were cement, and dirty. Strapped against a bed was him, yet a few years older than the last scene, eyes darting fearfully, though no other part of his body showed it. Sound came on, but Heero could not make out the words, but he could see the younger version of him struggling to push the voice out of his mind. 'Dr. J's training.' Heero realized glumly. His memories had mostly been erased, but he could still remember the fear of this place.  
  
 Then, he was inside the Gundam again, with the enemy approaching fast. This time, Heero wasn't watching himself, he was the person in the memory. A cold, empty feeling started to fill him, making him struggle. For a moment, it seemed like he was going to be okay, but something began to pin him down. He could hear yelling, but it faded at an explosion happened right in front of him.  
  
 When Heero realized the cold, empty feeling was getting stronger, he struggled even more, nearly breaking free. He heard words, and tried to make them out, with much difficulty.  
  
 "Wake up!" One voice yelled, and confused Heero. Was he asleep? If so… that meant he could wake up. He tried to wake himself up, but to no avail, something was keeping him in this unconscious state.  
  
 He looked in front of him and saw his Gundam hitting several suits, destroying them. Heero flung something, or at least tried to. He was becoming a killer again… but he didn't want that. He wanted to be at peace! The cold feeling was taking over, and nearly filled him, but at that moment, everything bounding him broke free. He tried to move, but it felt as if he was lying down…  
  
 Warmth came, and a soothing voice. Heero whirled, and the scenery became black once more. The voice was coming from somewhere, though he could not tell where. Warmth surrounded his head, something cupping his face, and he let himself fall to his knees, though why he didn't know. The tone of the voice was familiar, but it was hard to figure it out. The warmth was familiar too… and the peaceful feeling taking over.  
  
 What was this? Another trick? Could he let himself succumb into the temptation of just falling down? It didn't seem like he had any choice anyways, for his mind was ordering for him to relax. So, he let himself rest and fall, down and down, into the eternal blackness…  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 "Well Sally? Did you manage to find anything?" Relena asked timidly from her place as Heero's pillow. She hadn't dared move, and kept to her spot, trying to get comfortable. Nothing helped, though, when you were anxious. Aki had also shown up, and was now asleep in a chair nearby.  
  
 "Yes, we've found the source. Heero has trace amounts of valium in his blood. This stuff has sedatives in it, and can be fatal if taken with certain things. Relena, has Heero taken anything since he got here?"  
  
 Relena thought for a moment, before frowning and shaking her head. "No, not that I've known of. But, he has had a bit of water a couple of hours back…" Sally nodded curtly.  
  
 "Yes, that must be it. People check the water to make sure it is water, but valium is hard to detect. Especially with only trace amounts. Who gave you the water, Relena?" Relena thought back again.  
  
 "Aki did, though she might not have come straight here, or stopped somewhere. Actually, I do remember her cursing on the way in because she bumped into somebody." Relena looked up at Sally, hoping that she would have some idea. But, to Relena's dismay, the older woman shook her head sadly.  
  
 "I'm sorry Relena, but we can't catch the person. If they were the people Aki bumped into, she will not of had seen the person. And, it was quite a few hours ago, and this is a very public place. Video cameras catch a lot, but not everything. Though, if they are looking for something international, they will make themselves known." Her shoulders slumped. "The drug will be wearing off soon, so you can go within about an hour. I'm sorry Relena, but there is nothing we can do for now."  
  
 Relena nodded, looking worriedly down at Heero. "I understand. Thank you, Sally, for everything." As the doctor made her out, Relena thought of another question. "Wait." The Chinese doctor turned, eyes questioning. "What could've been their motive? Why would they drug him if it only made him sleep?"  
  
 "I honestly don't know, but my guess is they were going to try and poison him as soon as they could. For all I know, they could still be in the building, of left to not get caught. I'll send out people at once." With a slight thank you from Relena, the older woman left.

 A few hours later, as Sally had said, Heero awoke to a slight pain in his neck. He rubbed it, but then realized there was something holding his head up. Craning his brown head, he saw Relena, sleeping in a rather awkward position. Following her body down, he realized that it was _Relena's _legs holding his head up, which meant… that his head was in her lap.  
  
 Moving quickly, (though that didn't help the wound on his shoulder) Heero jolted up and woke Relena too. They stared at each other, for a while, before a slight blush graced both of their faces.  
  
 "R-Relena?" Heero, moved back a bit, to give her room to breath, though there wasn't much to move around in on a hospital bed. Relena's head slumped back, hitting the wall slightly, and she sighed.  
  
 "Oh god, Heero, you scared me!" She laughed slightly, ignoring the matter at hand. Then, she looked at Heero's shoulder, and reached forward quickly. "Heero! What are you doing? You're supposed to stay in bed, _relaxing_ as your wound heals." She maneuvered him back into her lap, where his previous conversation with Aki.  
  
 _"If you went into a relationship with her…"_  
  
 She had actually said that. Had it been what she had been aiming for the entire time? That sneaky little… Relena's scent made Heero's thoughts disappear as he breathed in the lavender. Had she always smelled this nice?  
  
 "Relena…" Heero's eyes snapped opened when he realized he had said it aloud. Relena's golden head bowed over his, and, awkwardly, he sat up. Turning to look at her directly, he was surprised to see her back away a bit.  
  
 "Heero? What's wrong?" Absently, his hand went up to caress her face, something he had been wanting to do, shocking her. His thumb ran over her cheek bone, and then he let his entire hand delve into her hair. He leaned in slightly.  
  
 "Relena… I…" His face closed in on hers, but Relena pushed him slightly, enough to keep their faces from meeting.  
  
 "Heero… stop this, you're sick. The fever… I don't thin-" She had been interrupted by Heero pushing against her hands, surprising, her, and their faces meeting in a searing kiss. With a clouded head, Relena kissed him back, concentrating only on his warm, chapped lips against her own. The kiss wasn't forceful, nor rough, but passionate nonetheless.  
  
 When Heero pulled away, he had no regrets or doubts on what he had just done. _Follow your emotions…_Odin had said that, and he had been right. Heero had followed his emotions and it had felt right, natural.  
  
 He looked into her confused eyes and smiled, just for her. His hand cupped her face again, caressing it slightly. Relena's flushing face gradually lessened, and she turned her head into his rough hand. It felt like a burden had been lifted from him as he watched this innocent gesture, and moved to lead against the wall, holding her in his arms.  
  
 "I know exactly what I'm doing, Relena." He wanted to say more, but he didn't know what he could've said to tell her what he wanted. Words weren't exactly his forte. Instead, Heero simply held her in his arms, caressing her shoulders. Somehow, he couldn't seem to stop holding her.  
  
 "Heero… but, what-?" Her hands went up to holding his, and she leaned on him, wary of his shoulder.  
  
 "Not important." His head swooped down to nuzzle her neck, making her giggle a bit. A hand went to hold his head, another still holding his other hand. Never before had Heero felt more at peace, even though an attempt on his life had just been made. Nothing else really seemed to matter, not right then anyways.  
  
 "Does that mean I can start calling you Father?" The couple looked over to see Aki, awake in the armchair, with a bemused smile on her face. A slight blush crawled up to their faces, but to their surprise, Aki crawled onto the bed with them, and curled up at their laps like a cat. "I knew I could leave it up to you He- Father." And with that, she fell asleep.  
  
 "So she _has been trying to do this the whole time." Heero gave a playful snarl, only to be reprimanded by Relena. He smirked and held Relena closer.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 Aki left the room a while later, after waking up to see her adoptive parents asleep. She had carefully situated them into a better position, and left quietly. Brushing her fingers through her hair, she turned; thinking to leave to go for a meal, but nearly ran into two people. Looking up, Aki was slightly surprised to see who they were.  
  
 "Lee… and Dawn?" They looked at her blankly before Dawn ran to her, arms ready to hug someone. Eh, who was she, Aki, to dodge this one?  
  
 "Oh Aki, I'm so sorry I couldn't get here earlier. We had so much to do! Are you okay? Not hurt are you?" Questions kept pouring out of her mouth even as she let the smaller, black-haired girl go. Aki had to raised a finger, indicating that Dawn should be quiet, before she actually was.  
  
 "I'm alright. Nothing's wrong, I'll be just fine." Dawn bit her lip slightly before letting out a relieved breath. Lee only sighed in relief, making Aki notice how worried she had made everyone.  
  
 "And your bodyguard?" Lee stepped forward slightly, intimidating Aki a bit. But, the thought of Heero made Aki smile as she thought of her life, from now on. She hugged him, still smiling.  
  
 "My dad's going to be alright." Dawn smiled too, knowing exactly what this meant. Her friend, who had been through so much, was finally getting what she deserved: a good life, a family, and someone she could rely on.  
  
 Between Aki and Lee, a golden locket glinted, even though there was no light.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
 Umm… this is actually the end for some. From here on out, you have a choice: whether or not to continue reading. Take this warning seriously, because you'll hurt me for some of the things that I've planned. This is the happy ending for all of you who like that kind of thing, but if you like something with a bit more 1) action 2) supernatural 3) full of surprises and 4) angst, I suggest you keep reading. Things will take a dark twist now. If you don't like more than two of those things… Thank you for reading! I know I also left a few unexplained things here, but that'll be needed for the last few chapters… Once again, thank you for everyone for Reviewing! I never believed I would get so much!! Thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you! I have of currently 75 reviews right now!! Yay!_


	17. Neverending 11 17

Disclaimer: No way, no how.  
  
AN: Ah!! I'm so happy right now I could cry (and now that's something). I love all of your great reviews so much!!! As of now, 86 reviews!! And to think, at the beginning, I was guessing around… twenty to thirty… Holy crap! Right now, I think I'll thank everybody that's reviewed so far… Dragon Faere, Rayo, Elizabeth, Hououza, Lynn-Minmay, The Fic Critic, Erinamation-limited2-nothing, Anrui Shino, Queen of Shadows, Duck3, Two-BitGortez, Morrighan of Crimson and Sable, escawing, computer geek michelle, Nikki, masaki ai, MC-88, Jero, Eienevine, Viper, Arihat, and Luna-Sarita. Thank you guys!! You ARE awesome!! Whoa, sometimes I hate spell-check. ^-^  
  
  To Dragon Faere: I'm glad you liked my fic so much! No, Aki wasn't modeled after me; Dawn was (sort of). Aki was at first supposed to be a devious happy-go-lucky girl, but I thought it'd be cool to have her hide it behind a dark, silent mask. Actually, I made up Aki's personality & past as I went along. As for Lee, I pictured him as the cool guy, but down to earth too. He was modeled a bit after my brother, who's just a tad more aggressive.  
        Elizabeth: Sorry I couldn't e-mail you, I tried but it didn't work for some reason, but I did get your review! I'm so glad you liked it!!  
        Hououza: Ooh, that doesn't help!! ^-^ And I should check out that section sometime… sounds good!  
        Lynn-Minmay: Relena-friendly? There's a ton of them! Though, some people don't like Relena because they've read too many fics that make her a bad person, or just not understand her. Not that much of a deal…  
        The Fic Critic: Ooh, that wasn't meant to scare you, it was meant to lessen the number of tomatoes and pumpkins I have to dodge after you read some of the parts…  
        Duck3: Oh, so you like dark things, eh? Let's see how you do with the last few chapters…  
  
Wow, this is a long Author's note! In that case, let's get to the story!!  
  


  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 17  
  
 "Wow, finally, one more week until X-mas break!" Sylvester whooped and jumped as high as he could in the air, his red hair flying everywhere. Aki, Dawn, Terran and Saguaro laughed as their friend fell into the snow.  
  
 "Who says X-mas?" Terran asked as he helped the redhead out of the snow. Sylvester huffed and turned away in mock-hurt, only to be pushed back in the snow by Saguaro.  
  
 "Oh don't pout, you little baby, we were just kidding." She grabbed Dawn and Terran's hands, and bolting off right after Dawn grabbed Aki's wrist. "Hurry up! I don't want to get snowballed by him!" Aki trotted along as her friends led her away, feeling a bit sluggish today. They ran through a few trees, Terran running into one, before Saguaro finally stopped and hid behind two trees growing unnaturally close together.  
  
 Dawn watched, amused, as their friends began to make snowballs for a "counter attack", but her attention quickly turned towards Aki, who was unusually more silent than usual.  
  
 "What's wrong Aki?" The black haired girl looked up, trying to look clueless. "Oh come on… I know there's something wrong." Aki sighed, slumping her shoulders slightly as she moved to lean against another tree.  
  
 "I just have this gut feeling that something's not right." Dawn sat down beside her.  
  
 "Oh? Like what?" Aki shook her head.  
  
 "I don't know…"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 Later on that day, Aki walked down the halls to her new class, for once not surrounded by her friends. It had been a month since her parents had started their relationship, though they never really dated. Of course, it had only been about two weeks since Heero was out of the hospital. Quite surprising he stayed through until scheduled released date.  
  
 But Aki's thoughts weren't on that, it was on meeting Chantelle again since… that summer when Aki had first moved into the Peacecraft mansion. She missed her orphan friends, although there was a lot here for her as well.  
  
 But since she was so deep in her thoughts, Aki didn't notice the two burly men she walked into not too long afterwards. This effectively scattered some of her books around, and knocked her to the floor.  
  
 "Hey kid! Watch where y'er going!" The big man with dark brown hair turned to her, snarling. But Aki attention soon went from the man to the pieces of paper he was holding. She recognized the shapes pretty quickly.  
  
 "Why are you guys holding a pentomino puzzle?" She looked at the familiar shapes made up of five squares that formed a rectangle. The two men looked at each other before turning to her.  
  
 "Hey kid, how do you know what this is?" Aki looked at them as if the answer were obvious.  
  
 "It was in one of the history books I was looking through. Pentomino; an ancient Chinese puzzle game made up of twelve pieces that each consist of five squares each. The object of the game is to fill a given shape with those pieces. A difficult game, if not amusing. It's like Tangrams." She looked at them again. "Now for my question; what are you doing with the puzzle?"  
  
 "None of your business. Now, who are you parents girl?" The man looked down at her, trying to intimidate. But Aki knew better than to panic. And she knew better than to just blurt out who she was.  
  
 "Why?" She swore she could see the guy's veins pumping out of their usual place.  
  
 "Never mind that. You can't see it, can you? That's the Vice Foreign Minister's kid, Akira." The second man, with blonde hair, pulled the other one out of Aki's range of close-view. "You got some brains, girl, do you mind coming with us for some questioning." How stupid did they think she was, even after that little scene?  
  
 "Sorry, but I have a class to get to." She walked away from the two men and picked up her books. There was definitely something suspicious about those two… she'd have to follow them. But she'd pay the consequences for it later.  
  
 Sticking her stuff in her locker, Aki pulled out yet another knife, for protection purposes, and a small bag that wouldn't get in the way. Inside it, she had a tracking device, a listening device, and some other knick-knacks she stole from Preventers HQ. Old habits die hard.   
  
 Hurrying back to the spot she had seen the two men, Aki followed them outside and into the parking lot. They walked to a van, which Aki presumed to be theirs, and she touched the tracking device to it, just in case.  
  
 "A girl, thirteen no less, who knows enough to know a pentomino at first glance, and the daughter of the VFM too. She must have something valuable in that head of hers." The blonde man said as he slid into the left side. Taking this as a sign that they were leaving, she touched the receiver of the two listening devices into the crack in the two doors of the back of the van.  
  
 'Let's hope this works.' Climbing onto the bumper, she waited for the vehicle to back up, and lucky for her, it went right close to some bushes. She jumped into the leaves and prayed that the noise didn't attract them. Aki placed the other listening device in her ear as she crouched inside the mass of branches and leaves.  
  
 "What was that?" Clear as day. Good thing too. Not so good, was the fact that they had noticed her jump.  
  
 "Probably just a squirrel or something." Impudent fools. But then again, they could have nothing to do with anything, and she could've just lost a half of an expensive device. Oh well, she still had the tracker.  
  
 "Don't you think that we should check it out?" Oh please, no.  
  
 "Nah, there won't be anyone out here at this time, everyone's in the school. Now hurry up and drive you nut." Aki sighed in relief and pulled out her bag, trying to find the radar for the tracker. It was a dark green circle with antennae and a few little buttons.  
  
 "If you say so boss." The car started to move, and Aki was engulfed in dark smoke the exhaust pipe blew out. Coughing, she tried to keep quiet, though the sound of the car would drown out a lot of noises she made.  
  
 "Normally, I'd tell you to get a muffler, but you just saved me," Muttering to no one in particular, she waited for the van to get out of sight before standing up. She tapped the listening device, and heard noises through it, though they weren't voices. They were the sound of the car. "Argh, never mind you dopes, get a muffler!" She threw the earpiece in her bag and went into the building.  
  
 There was no evidence that the two men were up to something, but they were suspicious. She knew that the earpiece had a recorder in it, and decided she could listen to the messages later, but for now… she had to worry about class.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 "Heero, what are you doing?" Relena watched her bodyguard/boyfriend as he paced back and forth in the office. His arm hadn't yet regained full capabilities so he was supposed to try and lay off on the movement a bit, though it didn't seem like he was prepared to follow orders.  
  
 "The school called. It seems that Aki has been skipping a class," He stated, way more calm than Relena would've liked. But the fact that he had waited to tell her this annoyed her.  
  
 "And why did you not tell me this earlier instead of pacing around?" She stood up, waiting for his answer. He looked at her blankly, before shrugging.  
  
 "I was never good with words." She glared at him for a moment before sighing. 'Impossible.'  
  
"Let's go." At first, it seemed like he wasn't going to come, since he still stood there in that same spot when Relena looked over her shoulder. "She's your daughter too… come one!" he grunted before following.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 'Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry!' Aki repeated over and over in her head as she ran. 'I can't be too late! She'll never accept my bathroom excuse!!' Lady luck wasn't exactly on her side, since her foot slipped and she fell into a load of dirt. She practically landing on her face, her locket flung out in front of her.  
  
 "I… don't… believe… it." Aki stared in disbelief as her locket glinted a few times then started to glow. "It's too soon… just when everything…" Sitting up with the locket in her hand, she flipped it open, gasping at what was inside. "Everything was just so perfect… I don't believe it…"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 I'm gonna leave it off there… hee hee, aren't I evil?? Sorry about the slightly late update… I've been… preoccupied. So, what is with that locket of hers? What will happen in the next chapter?? I mean, Aki's "skipping" and Relena/Heero are coming. Dun dun dun…. Kill me later! Maybe you'll find out next time.


	18. Hourglass, 11 22

Disclaimer: One penny, two pennies, three pennies…  
  
AN: Holy crap, 98?? I was so surprised when I realized I'm just two away from the triple digits… And I repay you with a late update. ^-^. Well, at least you still get the chapter, but I'll try to be on time next update!! Also, can't thank you enough for all the positive reviews! Peace all! Heh, I'm kind of hyper…  
  
To Erimation-limited2-nothing: Ha, you'll find out.  
     Queens of Shadows: Maybe… who knows what I've got planned?  
     The Fic Critic: *backs away slowly* I have a feeling you'll be one of the ones I'll have to run away from later on…  
     Morrighan of Crimson And Sable: You and Fic Critic have a few alike views… ^^ And did you expect any less? Aki's pretty sneaky…  
     Anrui Shino: Ooh, so you're the supernatural type eh? Heh, you sound like me.  
 Thanks again for the reviews and everything!! Enjoy the chapter.

  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 18  
  
 In a room of pure darkness, a single hourglass shone brightly, seemingly glowing. The golden sand inside the hourglass fell slowly through the small hole, trimmed with some gold itself, and onto a large mount at the bottom. In the upper half, only a bit still remained, but enough so that it would take a while to fully empty itself, all things considered.  
  
 Two bright blue eyes materialized out of nowhere, and a hand could be seen near the hourglass, illuminated only by the glow the object gave off. The hand softly caressed the hourglass's golden rims as the eyes concentrated on the sand inside it, watching as the grains fell.  
  
 "I'm sorry, but this was all I could get." A thin layer of fresh new sand fell on top of the old, and the two eyes disappeared, blinking into the darkness...  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
 "I can't believe you skipped class!" Relena called, exasperated, from behind the kitchen counter while Aki sat at the table, looking bemused. Though, she did have a reason to; Heero was just reaching up to get a glass for her, standing close. Apparently, Aki was proud that her little game had paid off, even though the final result came from not her own schemes, but from an incident.  
  
 "I thought those two are up to something! I mean, they _sounded_ suspicious, and I haven't been convinced they're innocent quite yet…" Aki half-whined good-naturedly. Relena turned to the fridge, but Heero already had the orange juice in his hands, ready for her. "Besides, I'm only suspended for a day." Was the girl _trying_ to peeve her?  
  
 "Only a day? Aki, you were suspended and that's all that counts!" The kitchen staff giggled slightly at the display, making Aki smile too, but Relena was annoyed. They were not taking this seriously enough; her daughter had just broken school rules for heaven's sake. "There is nothing to laugh about!" Aki smiled at her mother's stressed attitude.  
  
 "Mom, once, I promise. But, it's not like you were the perfect example yourself." Now how did she get a hold of that? "I mean, running right into the field of danger, _letting Dad try and kill you? Who are you to speak?" The kitchen staff laughed again as Aki teased the most powerful woman alive.  
  
 "Don't you get cocky, young lady!" Relena snapped, nearly spilling her juice. "You don't under-" Relena stopped as Aki raised one finger, signaling that she should be quiet.  
  
 "Shush!" Aki placed something in her ear. "I can hear something besides a car again!" Heero strode over and leaned in. The blonde woman sighed in frustration and ran over.  
  
 "Okay, but you're explaining after this!"  
  
~*~  
  
 "So, we've got it all planned right?" The first man asked. The voice was rather loud, so Aki guessed they were by the trunk of the car. She grimaced; the tracker was by there too. Hopefully, they wouldn't be checking around.  
  
 "Yeah, the girl is valuable. We'll go get her then. Besides, it's the perfect opportunity…" The second man replied. There was a loud banging sound, and the voices sounded a bit clearer.  
  
 "Now what?"  
  
 "Well, we got the stuff, and the time, now we just have to tell Boss." The other man gave an agreeing grunt, and their voices began to fade.  
  
 "So, we go in, then…."  
  
~*~  
  
 "Damn!" Aki slammed her fist against the table and threw device to the ground. Relena and Heero looked at her in shock at her language.  
  
 "What happened?" Obviously, they hadn't heard.  
  
 "They were so close to telling me what they were up to, but they just walked out of range." Her hand made a dismissing wave and she sat down in frustration. The two adults looked at her. "Oh, yeah, right. They said something about me being 'valuable', and they seem to want to kidnap me someday."  
  
 "You're kidding me." Aki shook her head at Heero and handed him the earpiece.  
  
 "It has a recorder, you can check for yourself." He did so, and her mother tapped her shoulder. "Right, and I have a tracker on the van too. If you want to get the signal…" She pulled out the large circular object and set it on the table, "here. Probably should before they find it."  
  
 "Aki, you know we're going to have to go to the Preventers headquarters about this." She said sternly. Aki nodded. "We'll go this evening, but first, I have to call Une." She turned and left. "Aki, go to your room and wait until I'm done."  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
  Placing her bag on her bed, Aki had intended to do homework, but her mind was on other things; what she had seen in her locket earlier. It was… odd to say the least, not that she hadn't known it was going to happen. What had surprised her was the fact that it had happened so soon. She knew what it meant too.  
  
 Flipping her locket open, she traced the thin black outline that had slowly formed. It hadn't changed all day, which was good news. Lying on her back, Aki studied her current position.  
  
 Would she tell her parents? Or her friends? Or Lee?  
  
 The thought was not welcome. She wanted to protect someone from this, but how? Could she really just make them forget her? Not in the time given… but, Lee and her friends, she could at least help them out…  
  
 "I should go to sleep, after I finish some of these things… Maybe it'll help clear my head…" She flipped open her first notebook, and silently began to study. It was promising to become a very difficult time from now on…  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
 "Well?" Heero walked up behind Relena as she disconnected the line with Une, pulling her into a slight embrace. Things were becoming troubling.  
  
 "Lady Une wants us to go to HQ tomorrow, and to bring Aki with us. She might have to go for more protection, as well as us with the Christmas we're planning. It's just not safe for a lot of us to come together at these times." She turned into him, wrapping an arm around his waist.  
  
 "Do you think they're the same group who shot me?"  
  
 "Who knows, Aki severely traumatized the one she left standing. He's in a mental ward now." Heero snorted at the idea. Relena knew what he meant: why would someone hire a man who was traumatized by an incident like that? "Well, the group _was_ never named. Perhaps they were thinking of that?"  
  
 "Who in that state of mind would want to join a gang?" She had no answer to this particular question. This wasn't making much sense at all, and Heero was only confusing her more.  
  
 "Why is it that Marimaia was so right? Time is like an endless waltz." Burying her face into Heero's comforting chest, Relena could feel Heero's hands hold hers and lead her away, closer to her bedroom. "Only the waltz is going so much quicker than normal. Things like this seem to be coming up so much…"  
  
 "You should stop worrying and rest." He lifted her into his arms, reminding her briefly of the time he had carried her through the alleyways, after Aki earlier in the year. So many things had happened since then… What was waiting for her and her family now?  
  
 "Stay with me… will you Heero?" She was already falling asleep as he carried her in his swaying arms.  
  
 "Of course Relena." She could hear the bedroom door opening, and Heero placing her on the bed. He placed a small kiss on her forehead and caressed her hand, drawing small circles in her palm.  
  
 "Thank you…" Relena drifted asleep.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
 Shorter than usual… but this was a more difficult one to write. Thanks again to all you reviewers… and sorry for the late update!!_


	19. Locket, 11 25

Disclaimer: One penny, two pennies, three pennies…  
  
AN: *swoons* *muses pop out of nowhere* She'll be alright… it's just the first time a story has actually passed the hundreds mark for her. Oh, and she a bit tired from walking around the community in snow… lazy bum…  
  
To Anrui Shino: Yeah… she'd probably be awesome. Really quick witted, isn't she?  
     Hououza: Actually… no, I think I've heard of him, but I don't know if I've read one of his books. Ha, finally, you actually do tell me your age! Lol.  
     The Fic Critic: Mary Sue? Heh, I don't think Aki completely fits into that category, but I sure do have a habit of using those kinds of characters. ^^  
  
Ha ha!! 100 reviews!! *hands out Gundam Wing chibi toys.* Thank you!!! Enjoy the chapter!! Pumpkin seeds got me hyper this time, or was it the tea?? 

  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 19  
  
 "So… What do I do now that I've explained everything?" Aki eyed everyone in the hallway suspiciously. When her mother glared at her impatiently, she shrugged. "Old habits die hard."  
  
 "Aki…" she warned, still eyeing the younger dark-haired girl warily.  
  
 "I know, I know, try and be more friendly. Got it." She made an okay sign with her hand and walked off, letting her parents talk to Lady Une alone. "More friendly my ass." Down all of the hallways she wandered, finding nothing of interest to her; they had already been ordered not to let her near the ammunition and weapons.  
  
 She looked from side to side, bored. Naturally, all of her attention was drawn away from what was in front of her, and she walked right into someone else, scattering papers everywhere.  
  
 "Hey, watch where you're going!" Natural instincts took over as she rubbed the sore spot on her wrist after she had fallen on it. The words slipped right out of her mouth before she could stop them.  
  
 "Sorry." The person who she had just walked over sounded kind of young… like her age. The words sounded odd with her voice though, like she was supposed to be the one yelling or something. She finally opened her eyes to look at the person already picking up the papers; a red head not that much older than her, with shoulder-length hair.  
  
 "Umm…" Aki went on her knees and started to pick up a few pieces of paper too. The other girl looked at her oddly with her blue eyes. "I shouldn't of been so rude. Sorry about that." Aki forced a smile as she tried to gather her thoughts. She remembered this girl from somewhere. Then it hit her.  
  
 Sure, the hair was longer, and the face a bit more matured, but there was no doubt who it was. The daughter of Trieze Kushranada herself; Marimaia.  
  
 "Who would've thought it?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 "Ha, and to think I was bored earlier! I would've come here no question had I known you'd be here!" Aki laughed when the girl blushed slightly. She was only three years younger than Aki, but she seemed so mature. "Lighten up, chat with me!" The redhead fidgeted slightly.  
  
They sat in a diner place by the headquarters. They had come after Marimaia had delivered those papers to Lady Une, and Aki had practically dragged the younger girl there. The both sat, stirring their hot cocoa.  
  
 "It seems… Like I know you from somewhere…" She chose her words carefully, a bit embarrassed that she had met someone who she had once met, but forgotten. Aki simply grinned.  
  
 "Well, it _was a long time ago, Bluebird." Aki winked as she recited Marimaia's nickname from the group. "About… five years, maybe? That time you ran away from your uncle... Remember?" The younger girl's face brightened up considerably as she remembered that certain incident.  
  
 "Yes… of course! How __is your sister?" Aki's face darkened and the girl knew what that meant. She immediately apologized. "I didn't know. Sorry." She turned to her lap, grieving silently for the both of them.  
  
 "Hey…" Aki touched the girl's shoulder. "It's alright, I'm okay with it… but I know how close you two were."  
  
 "Yeah…" she laughed a bit. "But it was hard _not_ to be friends with her…" Aki hesitated a bit as she remembered what had happened yesterday.  It was supposed to be a secret… but she was part of the group, and they had a vow to trust each other entirely, and never turn their backs on their fellow grouper. But… she was taken away soon after meeting everybody… could she be trusted.  
  
 Aki peered over at the younger girl. Sure, she seemed different from three years ago, during the Christmas Battles. Besides, she was being cared for by the leader of Preventers. Things had settled down, but how much trust could be put into her?  
  
 "Hey… can you keep a secret?" Aki leaned forward slightly. Marimaia looked up at her for a moment before nodded. "Are you sure? It involves Arika." Now Marimaia nodded vigorously, eager to hear about her old friend. "Ok…" and she proceeded to tell Marimaia about everything that had happened to the group since she had been taken away…  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 On Friday morning, Aki stepped to face her Lee… One of the two she had been trying to avoid since the day with her locket. There was no wonder why he looked annoyed with her.  
  
 Um… Hi?" she waved weakly, knowing that he would not be happy with the way she had been acting. "How are you?"  
  
 "Aki, we need to talk." He grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the gates of the school, giving her only a glimpse of the skeptical looking Heero inside the limo still. Well, this time, she was thankful it wasn't Pagan.  
  
 "Lee! Aki!" Dawn waved as she approached the both of them. Oh great, the other person she had been trying to avoid. When Dawn stopped running, she shot Aki a quick, unprofessional glare. "Aki, you need to explain something." She laughed weakly, still stuck in place by Lee.  
  
 "Aki… why have you been avoiding us?" Quick and straight to the point… Aki looked at the two of them and stood up straight, letting Lee know that she would not run away.  
  
 "Well… it's complicated…" Aki trailed off, hoping they would just give up. When they didn't she sighed. Not good. "You know how my dad was shot, right?" they nodded. "Well, I got a lead earlier this week, that's why I was late for class. But besides that, we've talked to Preventers, and they agree that there will be a mission soon after Christmas. The thing is… I plan to go… and I know…"  
  
 "And you know what, Aki?" Dawn trembled a bit with uncertainty as she spoke, fearing the worst. Lee laid a hand on Aki's shoulder, telling her to go on.   
  
 "I'm not going to make it through this, but I have to go, it's me thy want." The two people gasped as Aki let this out very quickly. It was not what they had been expecting.  
  
 "So you're going to let yourself get hurt? You can prevent this, by not going!" Lee panicked, he didn't like what he was hearing. Aki, dying?  
  
 "It's more complicated than that guys…" She sighed again. "My days are numbered, no matter what. If this doesn't happen, I don't know what will. But… if there is any possible way… I'll try my best to make it through all this, alive." This didn't help them much, especially since Aki was a dear friend to the both of them.  
  
 "Why didn't you tell us?" Dawn all but yelled in Aki's face, tears beginning to form at the thought of betrayal.  
  
 "I… I had hope to ease whatever you feel by making you hate me… or something…" Honestly, Aki didn't even know her reasoning behind this, and she sighed in defeat.  
  
 "We deserve to know…" Lee held a firm grip on her shoulder still, and he squeezed it gently.  
  
 "I know that now… is there anything else?"  
  
 "What do you mean… your days are numbered?" Dawn asked slowly, getting a hold of herself. There was no point in questioning her… Sighing, Aki pulled the locket from around her neck, and showed them the interior. For the first time, they heard about the twin sister of their friend…  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 They had taken it better than Aki would've thought. Lee was silent and still, and Dawn had only cried a bit. She had told them the entire story, and the reason behind the news. Aki walked down the halls, feeling content at the fact that she was practically normal. She liked this, being like everybody else. Arika would've liked it too…  
  
 All day, her thoughts seemed to be going to her sister more and more, and she thought of what had happened in those days with her. Aki remembered vivid details of their childhood, such as the games and parks, and some of the not so vivid ones of their first parents. The day dragged on, with a few glimpses of her friends. The school day was a busy one, and it was hard to chat at times.  
  
 Though, she had seen Lee and Dawn whispering amongst themselves. Aki wondered only briefly what they were talking about, but was soon rushed off by her music teacher… to whom punctuality was everything. Her fingers had flown swiftly over her flute during the test, awing her little fans who seemed to really love her playing. A sad, deep tune floated out, impressing even the teacher.  
  
 Creative writing had been interesting too, when Aki had been announced as the top writer in the class. She, of course, had stealthily crept out of the room during the cheering and clapping and was back in by the time they were done discussing. So, even though she had been the main centerpiece of that class, her presence wasn't even missed. Then again, they had been reading her story whilst she was gone, and the tones had greatly effected some of her classmates.  
  
Lunch, though, was to be her highlight of the day. Lee and walked right up to her, much to some other girls' disgust, and asked to speak with her, in private. Curious eyes and jealous glares were directed at her as he took her hand and led her out of the cafeteria.  
  
 "What is it Lee?" Aki asked the moment they were out of any kind of earshot. He looked at her solemnly and forced a smile.  
  
 "Aki… I know we've only known each other for a few months… But I have to say… you've really fascinated me…" Now he was smiling gently at her as he cupped her chin in his hand and pulled her a bit too close to him. For her to breathe normally, anyways.  
   
 "And…?" She mentally kicked herself for that one.  
  
 "I just wanted to say… that no matter what happens…" she was blushing now, at the warm breath tickling her face. "You are my black haired and gray eyed angel." He closed off the statement with a soft, sweet kiss…  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 Whoa… How's that for a bit of side romance? Lee and Aki got it way sooner than Relena and Heero… And you finally learn about the locket's secret, well, some of it anyways. But what does Arika have to do with Akira dying?? Why does the locket itself turn black?? What was with that hourglass scene last chapter?? Hee hee, stay tuned and find out. Lastly, Thanks again for all the reviews!!_


	20. Reunited, 11 29

Disclaimer: Nopes.  
  
AN: See, it seems like everybody's confused. Actually, that was what I was trying to do the whole time. Nope, nobody missed a chapter or nothing, and everybody is now confused. My only response: this is where suspense and supernatural come in as genres.  
  
To Anrui Shino: Well… that _was_ what I was trying to do, getting everyone confused… but I don't think anything will be cleared up in this chapter… heh, yeah, I forget my passwords easily, having so many of them…  
     Hououza: Well, who says he'll every find out? Goodie, you're confused too. I was hoping for that… oh, and I'm actually 13. Heh, well that clears up how easily I get hyper, ne?  
     The Fic Critic: No, Aki doesn't have a disease, and no, you did not skip a chapter. This is part of the suspense I stuck in here, so be prepared not to find out what's going on until I'm practically done with the fic. And, also, I'll probably make a prequel to this story about Aki and Ari, but you'll need to wait a few months before that comes out. What? It's not like it the first idea on hold...  
      Dragon Faere: Ooh… I suppose she is, but be assured, she won't completely get there. If she did, I wouldn't be so certain most of you will be out to kill me by the end of the fic…  
  
 Well, I have some things to do now… so enjoy the chapter. And don't forget the R&R, I love getting your reviews!

  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 20  
  
 Aki fidgeted a little bit nervously as she waited for everyone to arrive for Christmas; she couldn't wait to see Chantelle again. And the rest of the pilots were going to be there: Duo with a very pregnant Hilde, Trowa with his new wife, Midii and Chantelle, Wufei with his 'partner' Sally, and Quatre with his fiancée, Dorothy. Oh, and of course, her Uncle, Milliardo, with his wife, Lucrezia, and their adopted baby from the orphanage.  
  
 That was the family she had been brought into, and she wasn't looking forward to trying to place faces with names for a whole three weeks. But then again, she was a fast learner. And then there was the fact that she had met all of them before, even if only for a bit. Yep, that was going to be her whole Christmas, and _then_ there was the fact that the little gang/group after her was to be discussed after Christmas, but, they were amateurs, who probably weren't that big of a deal.  
  
 'There's time to feel free and normal,' Aki thought, while her mind seemed to go right back to that Friday… at lunch. Lee's kiss was quick and soft, making her marvel at how such a great guy had crossed her paths. He was all a girl dreamt of. 'But I won't get to stay too long…' It was true, and her death was almost inevitable. There was almost no chance of her making it out alive, except for some kind of miracle.  
  
 Flipping open her locket, Aki traced the outside of it, which was lined with black. The other side, which held Arika's picture, was beginning to line with a peculiar white. This, she had not known about. What did _that_ mean?  
  
 A dark blue minivan pulled up to the house, distracting Aki as it went out of sight, hidden behind the bar of the window. All that she could still see of it was the very back, which was blurred slightly by her breath and the thick snow falling outside.  
  
 "Someone's here!! It's a blue minivan!" She called towards the stairs, meanwhile never moving from her spot on the couch, her black hair spilling over the edge as she rested her head on the top of the couch, reminding everyone else of a bored dog. Of course, Aki knew that, but it was comfortable, and she was bored. There was absolutely nothing to do…  
  
 Blonde hair flitted slightly in her view as a girl opened up the trunk of the minivan, and picking up some presents that were there. A man also came, his face obscured by a few bangs that hung over one eye. Finally, a blonde woman also came, picking off the topmost smallest present from the girl's pile so that she could see. The girl looked about ten.  
  
 "It's Trowa and Chantelle!" Aki cried, a bit excited, as she bolted to the door to open it. Chantelle stood there, trying to balance as she lifted a hand to try and ring the bell. Aki picked up the pile the girl had in a hand as Chantelle gave a sheepish smile. This was the Night-sky she knew alright.  
  
 "Well, Greyhound, it seemed like you dressed up for our first encounter since… oh… four months?" Aki, a bit confused at what she meant, looked down at the clothes she was wearing: dark grey khaki pants and a grey, speckled wool turtle neck. She shrugged.  
  
 "The outfit seemed to jump out at me for today. Besides, you shouldn't really talk." The younger of the two girls wore a dark blue sweater with black jeans today. She shrugged too.  
  
 "Oh well, I thought it was appropriate. Now let me in before I freeze out here because I forgot my jacket in the car!" She tried to push Aki away, but even her slightly stronger than average strength couldn't faze the older girl.  
  
 "Go get your jacket, you might need it later." She made a face as she walked away, mumbling something about slave drivers. "Stupid little…"  
  
 "Trowa and Midii are here?" Relena went to lean out of the door, nearly pushing all of the gifts Aki had in her hand into the snow below, but Heero had pulled the little raven-haired girl into the house before coming up behind Relena. Aki heard her mother shout greetings at the people in the driveway as she went to dump all the presents under the gigantic Christmas tree. Well, there were a lot of presents there already, and only two families out of the six were actually here.  
  
 "Whoa… jeez, you sure you got enough space here?" Chantelle asked sarcastically as she entered the large living room. Truly, it was huge, as it could fit a fire place, three couches around that, two couches by a book case (an extremely large one), one couch and a side table in front of a big screened TV, plus a small sofa and foot stool there too, as well as a last couch right underneath the window. Oh, and who could forget the Christmas tree?  
  
 "No, I think a few people will have to stay in the main hallway." Chantelle laughed, causing Aki to smile; finally, a familiar sound. "So… let's talk." She led the blonde up to her room, watching as the girl's face widened in awe as she looked around.   
  
 "Aki, my girl, have you ever considered how much alike your life is to the musical 'Annie?'" A certain raven-hair girl winced.  
  
 "What? Do you expect me to start singing all of a sudden?" Chantelle laughed again.  
  
 "Well… go on…" Aki glared at her, causing her to laugh again, only more whole heartedly. They went to the bed, where Chantelle made herself right at home on the on it. Aki, on the other hand, flipped a chair around and sat on it backwards.  
  
 "So… Chantelle, how has everything been going since I left?" The girl, who had been commenting on how little pillows she had (she only had two) for a rich kid, jumped a little at the question.  
  
 "Oh, uh…" she thought for a bit, trying to remember what to say. "Oh! After you left, there was a bit of confusion around the orphanage, especially with the gang, but Chris told us everything. She was then adopted by a family too, and you should've seen their surprise when they saw her lifting some stuff for the staff. Heh, it was so funny when she said there had better be some physical work for her. Then, there's Cameron. Oh boy, he's got quite a few girls after him, with all the blonde hair and 'boyish' looks. He was practically hiding everyday for a while. Then, there was Sequin, who seemed to be doing fine enough. You know how old habits die hard?" Only too well… "He's sticking to the shadows most of the time, scaring some of the other kids when he'd open his eyes, and all they'd see is a flash of silver in the shadows." She laughed again as a memory obviously came back to her. "Then some of the gang…"  
  
 That was how their one-sided conversation went as down below them, everyone was arriving.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 "Hilde!" Relena laughed out loud as the sort-of-little woman went through the doors, a Duo practically bursting with joy was almost completely holding her. They were the last of the guests, and probably the most happy of them all. Hilde was placed on "Heero's" sofa and Duo immediately went to gloat with the rest of the guys, who were in the Kitchen. The women sat around Hilde, talking about her pregnancy and kids. All in all, it was a pretty peaceful evening.  
  
 "So, heh, Heero, how'd Aki get to you so well? I couldn't even do nothing!" Duo jabbed at Heero with his elbow as Milliardo raised an eyebrow at the both of them. Now, Heero could only wish the room wasn't so quiet…  
  
 "Hn." Duo laughed and hit him upside the back of the head.  
  
 "So you don't wanna spill the beans, eh? Well, I guess I'll just have to ask her how she got you and Relena together…" He was teasing, he was annoying, he was getting him in deep with Relena's brother, and the older man just, kind of, exploded.  
  
 "What??" Duo cringed, Quatre jumped, Wufei turned away from the window to look at what was happening, Trowa raised an eyebrow, but Heero was unfazed. At least, that was what he looked like. The tall blonde walked right up the Heero and turned him around to face one another in the face. He shoved a finger in his face as Heero did nothing.  
  
 "Y- You are… What??"  
  
 "Duo…"  
  
 "Eep."  
  
 "What is going on in here?" Thank the lord Relena had heard her brother's outrage, and had the other women in tow. Hilde was here too, after a few moments. "Milliardo, I want to know the meaning of this." She pulled her brother away from Heero with a hand, using the other to stop their glares. "Men."  
  
 Aki had walked down to the kitchen too, at the sound of her Uncle, and looked at the peculiar sight. Well, for her at least. She turned to Chantelle, who had followed down after her.  
  
 "You know… I have a feeling this could take a while to clear up…  
  
And it did.  
  
 They almost missed dinner, actually, if Duo's stomach hadn't reminded everyone that it was about eight in the evening. Aki thought of the child living inside of Hilde's abdomen and hoped that it didn't get too many of his genes…  
  
 After dinner, the group had retired to the living room around the fire, where Chantelle and Aki played with Aki's cousin, Yuki. She was only a few months old, orphaned for unknown reasons. The child made Aki remember her own past, and she prayed that Aiko wouldn't have to go through the same thing. The girl black hair, which was tinted orange by the fire. Her eyes were blue… which disturbed Aki every time she looked at her. She looked a lot like Arika… But of course, Aki never said anything aloud.  
  
 "You know, I better go rest." Hilde started to get up, but Duo was by her side in a second, not that he was very far away anyways. Duo nodded enthusiastically as he gently fingered Hilde's bulging abdomen.  
  
 "Yeah, got to have your rest." Relena stood up to lead the two into their room as the people in the living room took up their chatter again, Aki listening only a bit as she watched the little girl played with Chantelle's fingers.  
  
 "So how's life?" Sally offered the group as a means of talking, as Duo had left…  
  
 "Good, I guess…" Quatre muttered as the room fell silent. The sounds in it were only the crackling of the fire, and the slight rapping of Milliardo's fingernails against the side table. He was obviously not pleased about his sister's relationship with her bodyguard.  
  
 "Wow, you guys are just bounding with energy, aren't you?" Aki stood as she said that, earning a few chuckles from the women. "I'm going to go get a drink." She started to, but only got to the doorway when Duo came bounding in, bruised and scratched, and Relena came in behind him, unharmed.  
  
 "Hilde's gone."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 *Steps away ever so slowly, but is dragged back by angry mob.* Hey, didn't I promise action/adventure?? And I still didn't get to anything being revealed about Aki's locket, but maybe next chapter. So the whole group's here, and Hilde's kidnapped. What's going to happen? Wait for the next chapter and find out! *Mob, who doesn't like that very much, drags Lei-chan off, chanting something about dogs* Uh oh, well, at least I update pretty quick.


	21. Eyes, 12 03

Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
  
AN: Right now, I'm frustrated for more than one reason. First of all, I practically got straight A's on my report card, and my mother just nodded. You can't imagine how degrading that is… I might have to do a short to help with this… Secondly, you have so many questions, and I want to give you so many answers, but the problem is that most deal with the plot. Yes, there is a plot, and most things will be tied up in the end. There may be some things I left out, but you get to ask all of your questions in the last chapter, and the epilogue will answer them all. Now, on with the replies for the last chapter.  
  
To Erinamation-limited2-nothing: Um… the rest of the plot?  
     Queen of Shadows: heh, I hate to do this but… you'll have to wait until the end before I finally show everyone what the locket's all about. ^^  
     Anrui Shino: Aki's locket started turning black in about… chapters 17 and 18. And Aki's cousin is Yuki, not Aiko; I just forgot to change it when I changed the girl's name… Gomen-san. ^^  
     Dragon Faere: Personally, I like T/M as opposed to T/C but either are fine. Catherine's coming, I really like her as a character ^^. And Hilde… I really didn't want to put her in danger, but it seemed the most logical.  
     The Fic Critic: I would LOVE to add something like that in there, but unfortunately, not my style. Though, there will be tension between those two. I just love the idea of an over protective big brother. ^^  
      Hououza: Yes, very confusing as it was part of the plan. Well, what did you expect? They've only been going out for about a month, and Relena doesn't keep in contact with her brother much, and she'd probably tell Noin, but not Zechs! Oh, that'd be homicide for Heero.  
 Now, before you maim me for keeping you here any longer, I'll go on with the chapter! See you at the end!

  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 21  
  
 Heero's first instinct was to make sure Relena was okay, and he rushed over to her, checking for any wounds, but finding that she was only a bit dazed. Duo, on the other hand, looked like he'd just been trampled but horses.  
  
 "This better not be some sick joke." Wufei muttered as he eyed the group from beside the fireplace. Duo glared, and stomped right over to the Chinese man, looking as if he was ready to rip his head off.  
  
 "Honestly Wufei, do you think I would try to fool around with this? I fought for their lives in there, and you can only accuse me of being a liar??" Heero was certain that Duo's eyes had flashed red, and decided to break the two up, since Zechs was helping Relena now. But Midii came first, and she pulled them apart with the help of Trowa and Chantelle.  
  
 "Calm down boys. Sit down, Duo, and tell me what happened up there." Grudgingly, Duo did as he was told, glaring at Wufei.  
  
 "I went to help Hilde into bed, but these men came out of nowhere, and they looked around. They saw Miss. Relena, but I managed to fight those guys off. But, then, their eyes turned onto Hilde, and I tried to fight them off, but they pulled her out of the window anyways. There must've been two dozen men, but they all tried to get her, I don't know why though. Fuck, there must be at least two or three lying unconscious in my room right now…"  
  
 "I'll go check it out." Sally, always the Preventer, all but ran upstairs to where the couple's room was, with directions from a servant who stood by the doorway apprehensively. Duo continued to babble on uselessly about his guilt, and Heero went to go look at the room with Sally.  
  
 It was exactly how he had thought of it to look like: three large men in dark green clothing laid, sprawled on the floor, the glass in the window broken, with pieces showing that it had been broken into from the outside.  
  
 "Heero, help me pick these men up and handcuff them. We'll interrogate when we're ready. Do you have a room to set them in?" Heero nodded, and walked over to the next man to handcuff him. The last man was starting to wake up, but, with one efficient punch to the head, he was down again. "Okay, lead the way."  
  
 Sally picked up one of the men, leaving Heero to take two of them. His shoulder gave only a slight protest at this, and they walked downstairs, below ground level, and into an empty room. They were all searched, winding up with two pistols on each, a set of picklocks on one, and a couple of other things used to get into the compounds. Locking the door and placing a security measure on it, they went back upstairs.  
  
 Walking into the room, they had stepped right into a slightly panicked Duo, chanting something about his baby and wife. Without Hilde here to calm him, none knew what to say. So, instead, Heero punched him on the face. With a thud, the braided man fell to the floor.  
  
 "What the hell was that for?" Duo turned on him, murderously, but Heero remained unfazed. He threw the loaded guns right beside Duo, making the other man stare in shock.  
  
 "You're lucky to of made it through alive." Short, curt, and unfeeling. Just the way the old Heero used to be. Aki came to inspect the guns, holding them at different angles as she did. Her sleeves had been rolled up, as to not add any more fingerprints than might be.  
  
 "Fully loaded alright, and deadly accurate too. Obviously, the people behind this are rich, skilled, and want something, probably more than just a simple bit of cash." She studied the sleek, smooth handles and then the barrel, making Heero wonder where she would get the training to learn this. "Hand crafted. These weren't bought, they were made."  
  
 "What? Impossible!" Sally and Wufei both reached down to grab one, but Aki slapped their fingers away.  
  
 "Gloves first." So after they ran into the kitchen for some gloves, they picked up a gun each, and studied them carefully. Heero took the one out of Aki's hands, having his own winter gloves to keep his finger oil from sticking. At the sight of the gloves, though, Duo began to get frantic again.  
  
 "Oh fuck! It's freezing out there, and Hilde's only got her night clothing on! She better be alright when I get to her, or else they'll suffer a slow and painful death, I'll make sure of that…" The group ignored the babbling ex-Gundam pilot. But, they did wait on the two Chinese Preventers to see what they thought of the guns.  
  
 "How could they possibly make these guns? Don't you need a mould, the materials, and… well… machinery?" Obviously, Aki could not use the 'I was an orphan' excuse to explain this bit of her past, as Chantelle didn't know much about guns, but she was right.  
  
 "They're obviously more than wealthy. And with money, it couldn't be that hard to get things, especially with the black market."  
  
 "Are you sure that this is a kind of gun they made?"  
  
 "Yes, there hasn't been one that I've seen of that had this much potential before I've even tested it." Relena looked between the two girls who were discussing the weapons in front of them, uncomfortable that they knew so much. The younger one was about half her age! She wanted to stop them, after all, it was almost Christmas, but the phone rang then and there.  
  
 Picking it up nervously, she hoped it wasn't anything to do with the press, official business, or anything of the sort. But she had managed to compose herself before answering.  
  
 "Hello?" No answer. Confused, she checked the caller ID. Invalid, perfect. She looked at the vid-screen, but there was nothing. Out of the blue, two incredibly green eyes opened, but that was all she could see. The person on the other line laughed.  
  
 "Miss Relena, I see," It was a woman, with an undeniably smooth voice, but with a deadly tone, "I have a certain… friend of yours, who seems in a terribly fragile state." The screen turned to show Hilde, knocked out cold, tied and gagged. Relena's eyes turned into small slits as she glared at the other woman.  
  
 "What do you want?"  
  
 "The girl." She nearly jumped. Money, she could do. Herself, she could corner them, but a girl? Did she mean her daughter? Speaking of the devil, Aki pushed Relena out of the way, glaring at the vid-phone. There was a small chuckle from the other side.  
  
 "Show me Hilde." Duo was right by her now, apprehensive at this new twist of events. But, when the screen showed his wife, he turned away in disgust. At who, though, was questionable.  
  
 "The woman is fine, just knocked out. She'll wake soon, and we'll take care of her, on one condition." There was a sharp intake of breaths from everyone as they waited. "You come to the Christmas carnival, alone. Of course, we know you probably won't follow that, so I haven't finished yet. Go to the carousel, after the carnival closes, and we'll be there. You must be inside before we release the woman. Your friends can head around the front, where we'll let her walk down the steps of the park. Alone. Any tricks, and we swear, we'll kill you and the woman, and anyone else with you."  
  
 "Aki…" Relena looked nervously at her daughter, wanting to risk neither of her friend or her daughter's lives. Then, there was a baby to be considerate of too. Aki, though, looked calm, and peeked inside her locket. With a sigh, she looked back up at the screen.  
  
 "Fine. Meet at midnight, in three days."  
  
 And Relena was so sure, that she had seen a smirk on Aki's face.  
  
  
 "What do you think you are doing!?" Chantelle all but screamed at the older girl, who sat in the den calmly, despite all the looks that she was getting. "Don't you remember what Chris said? She said that you're, no, _we're_ done with the street life. You don't have to be responsible anymore, of a hero. You. Are. Going. To. Get. Yourself. Killed." And with that, she promptly sat herself on the ground, counting to thirty.  
  
 After the call, they had all watched in shock as Aki sat down calmly on the sofa, but that was all she did. No plans, or schemes, no nothing. She just sat down. Out of them all, Chantelle had been the first to gather enough of her wits to yell at Aki. And yell she did.  
  
 "Aki, she has a point. You don't seriously mean to go through with this, do you?" That had been Dorothy. She stepped up from beside Quatre, entranced by the little bit of senselessness from what usually seemed to be a sensible girl.  
  
 "No, not completely. That's why I've given us three days. I want to discuss a little something with everyone here." She looked around, still unfazed by the glares and looks she was receiving. "But, it can wait. I think it would be best if we rested before going through the plan I've decided on. After a few silent moments, they all agreed. Relena and Heero stepped up, right up close to their daughter to have a word with her.  
  
 "Fine, we will wait until tomorrow, but on one condition. First thing tomorrow and first thing only, you will tell us all about what is going on. No holding back." Aki nodded, and waited for everyone to give her their last looks before they retired to their rooms.  
  
 "Fine, but you won't know if I'm holding back, how do you expect to trust me?" She whispered into the air, letting her gaze wander to the snowy wasteland outside. Of course, there was no answer.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 In the dark room, where there was no light except for the hourglass, Aki sat, waiting. In her dreams, this was the only way she could access this room, and she knew why. The hourglass was her lifeline, and when the last bit of sand fell… her last seconds left her. Fortunately, there was still some left.  
  
 "You shouldn't have come." A small, sweet voice came from ahead of her, but Aki couldn't see the form. But, she knew what was speaking to her. Actually, it was who, not what.  
  
 "I had to know. Do the fates have it planned out yet?" A smaller figure, nearly identical to Aki, walked into the light. She was only a bit smaller, about eight years old. Long, unkempt, black hair rolled down her white gown, blue eyes shimmering from underneath the messy bangs. The darkness showed her nothing beyond the girl's backside, but tiny, white fluffs flew all around them.  
  
 "Yes, everything. This time, Aki, we can't cheat death."  She nodded solemnly. "And I know how things were beginning to go right for you too. I'm sorry."  
  
 "Don't be. I'll only be sorry for those I leave behind. You did all you could. We fulfilled what you wanted us too. But I have one more question." The girl with lively blue eyes met Aki's own cold gray ones. "Why is your side of the locket turning white?" The girl smiled, the first one in a while, and twirled, disappearing in a gust of wind, fabric, and pure white wings.  
  
 "Oh, I see…"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 I said supernatural, didn't I? So, a few more things revealed, but still, you won't know everything until the end. ^^ I just love torturing the readers, such fun! Well, how'd you like that chapter? It just gets a bit clearer, but a bit more confusing each time, doesn't it? Oh well, I'll see you next chapter!


	22. Truth, 12 07

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing in any way. Also, any mentions of the supernatural, or anything to do with cultural beliefs are fictional, and I hold nothing to those of any religious traditions.  
  
AN: Well, I can't help but feel like I'm getting on some people's nerves with this ^^. Suspense stories aren't really the best to post chapter by chapter, are they? Oh joy, a bad day today -_- So I cheered myself up with a couple of your reviews ^^ Well, here we go! *a teensy bit hyper, ne?* Also, I decided that I couldn't keep the secret in anymore, so I'll be giving away about everything this chapter.  
  
To Hououza: Thank you!! I practically got glomped by my friends when they heard ^^. And you have no idea how many times I've seen that XD, this has got to be confusing… oh well, it's easier on me because I know what's going to happen.  
     Dragon Faere: lol, I knew you'd see it our way. We all wish Midii had an actual part in the show, but heck… that's what fan-fictions are for!  
     The Fic Critic: ooh, I wasn't sure how I did on the characterizing. Hee hee, yes, the ghost part was odd.  
     Erinamation-limited2-nothing: : Ooh, I'm hoping no one's that frustrated with my plot. O.o  
Okay, that was all, I think. Sorry if I missed you… Oh well, on with the chapter! Oh, and you'll enjoy the opening scene.

  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 22  
  
 Aki glared at her father, than at her uncle, than tried to glare at Duo and Wufei, who were all carrying her into the Preventers building. She then sat back and counted the doors they passed through, before barging in on Lady Une, who was at her desk with Marimaia. Chantelle, who took a moment to digest the familiar face, greeted the girl warmly and they both sat down. Lady Une, on the other hand, looked at the interesting site: Aki being held by four men, each using only one hand, and all with very annoyed faces.  
  
 "What the- in the world is going on here?" Aki nearly laughed out loud at the woman's attempt to keep her speech clean. Marimaia and Chantelle had similar reactions, but the adults seemed, used to this.  
  
 "Aki, has just stuck her life on the line, and insists that she don't repeat things twice." Duo grounded out, and they all dropped the girl in question onto the floor. The rest of the crew walked in, and sat on the couches, chairs, and whatever else was available.  
  
 "How?"  
  
 "Hilde was kidnapped last night. They want an exchange, Aki for Hilde. They say she's valuable…" Zechs trailed off to clap Aki's mouth closed when she opened it to speak. Only moments after, he pulled his hand away as Aki spat in disgust.  
  
 "Gods! What the heck do you do to your hand?" She made a face, her tongue out in front of her face as she mock-choked. Heero looked at Zechs, who was wiping his hands with a napkin, while sending glares towards the girl.  
  
 "Aki…" Chantelle looked around, and burst out laughing. "It's called soap, a lot of people tend to wash their hands in the morning." The raven haired girl looked indignant, while everyone else watched the pair curiously, well except Milliardo.  
  
 "We don't like it when people close our mouths like that, so we developed kind of like an instinct." She gestured to Aki, who was still attempting to get the taste of soap out of her mouth. "We lick their hands, and it usually works."  
  
 "I think I like the taste of dirt better. Ack!"  
  
 "Enough!" The resounding sound of the desk being smack shocked the lot of them, and all eyes turned to Lady Une. "You come in here, a day from Christmas Eve, and this is what I get? Everyone, into the next room, now!"  
  
 Frightened, everyone filed into the next room, which had a large table, and a bunch of chairs. Well, it was way more professional than the little office. Aki was seated on the far side of the wall, with Heero and Zechs on either side.  
  
 "Now, I want an explanation. What the heck is going on here?" All eyes turned to Aki, who wiped her tongue one last time before throwing the napkin away.  
  
 "Oh, about the thing? Ano…" One glare, two glares, three glares, four! "Okay, okay, alright. So, I decided that it'd be easier if I surrendered, you know, but you forget. I had a tracking device on the car, and a listening device. The tracking device should be useful, and the listening one is probably out of use by now. So I was thinking, that if I gave us a couple of days, we could think of a way to get this done?"  
  
 "Aki, stop playing around. You know better than anyone that this is dangerous. This gang is unique, they even have their own, original guns. And, they obviously have skilled fighters." Relena gestured to Duo's black eye. "You will be putting yourself in danger."  
  
 'Not to mention your best soldier is handicapped.' Aki thought, giving Heero a brief glance.   
  
 "This isn't going to be a walk in the park. The carnival has a lot of hiding places, and the guns they have are powerful and accurate, we could all be shot down after only a few steps." Lady Une pointed that one out, obviously thinking about the incident at Dawn's birthday party.  
  
 "Yes, I've thought about that all, but, we have not only the wife of a guy who hides all of his problems life on the hand, but the baby she has too. I can defend myself, and kill, but she can't and won't with the baby."  
  
 Duo seemed to be giving her the evil eye. "Are you saying I'm crazy?" Aki looked over to him, and he was indeed giving her a look.  
  
 "No, I'm saying it won't be good for your mental health if she dies. Considering you were a soldier, you hide everything bad, and that the war has only just finished, you may be a bit, unbalanced." At least Wufei seemed to be considering this.  
  
 "And what if you die? What if it doesn't go right?" Because, she had been too busy having a staring contest with a certain braided Preventer, Aki didn't get to see who had said this. But, she hesitated. This might bring out the whole story, but when was going to be a better time?  
  
 With a deep breath, she relaxed her mind before beginning, "Chantelle, what I'm about to say will surprise you too, because you weren't with me yet when is happened. You were still away, visiting some family, okay?" The girl looked puzzled, but Aki ignored that.  
  
 "All of you, I'm pretty sure, have heard about Arika, right?" Heads nodded ever so slowly. "Well, not long after she died… I did too." Now, she definitely had everyone's attention.  
  
 "What the hell are you talking about?" Oh, now Une swears.  
  
 "It's… complicated, you see, but there was a shooting on the colony, some of you may remember…" A tiny murmur passed through the group, but it was silenced within moments. "Well, I was trying to get Gremlin and Ice through the streets to the hideout, but we ran into some… difficulties. I was shot here," Aki pulled up her sleeves to show an older scar on her shoulder, "here," this time, she gestured to her leg, "and here." She gestured to the spot above her right breast, dangerously close to her heart.  
  
 "I wasn't supposed to make it through the night, and well, yeah. But, while I was in the coma, Arika came to me, how I don't know, but she came. Apparently, he one wish was that I live a full, happy life, like have friends, family that care, and so on. I don't know how she came back from the afterlife, but she spoke to me. She said that it wasn't fair that the both of us had to go before our time, and that the Fates, had put up such dangerous tests for us, and that I should live longer.  
  
 "So, I'm not sure what happened, but she merged with me, and the next thing I know, I was looking at everyone's faces again. Everyone was there, looking at me, and someone screamed, I think. But my bleeding had stopped, and  I was wide awake and healthy. When Chantelle came back, we had already said that this was unnatural beyond doubt, and only those there to witness it should know about it. So, we never told you…"  
  
 The room was deathly silent as she told them everything. Aki fiddled with her locket, before realizing that they might not believe her. So, she opened the locket, which was now half black on her side, and half white on Arika's. Another thing, though, was that her side was becoming gold again. Now, _this_ was odd.  
  
 "But,"  Her mother, this time, had been the first to find her voice. "What does this have to do with anything?" Oh right, she had forgotten about that certain detail…  
  
 "Well, the Fates, the ones who control the afterlife, tracked down Arika's soul. They told us that since Arika was, well, something or the other, I couldn't understand, we were allowed to stay that way, but only until I had fulfilled what Arika wanted of me. Also, they suppressed my memories, so I wouldn't remember about this particular event until I was reminded of it. And since no one was allowed to talk about the incident, I didn't really remember anything until I came to the Peacecraft household.  
  
 "And, well," she took off her locket and laid it on the table, "when they decided that I was only going to live so long, they gave me this, to tell me when I would die. When my side of the locket turns completely black, it's the day of my death. But, it's also turning back to gold around the edges. I don't know what's going on, but I think it means I still have a chance of living. Arika's side is turning white, and it's telling me that she has to go back to the afterlife soon."  
  
 Chantelle, who was now more curious than ever, spoke up next. "How do you figure that?"  
  
 "White, as in the white robes and wings of an angel. You know. No doubt that's what she's going to become." Aki looked at her sister's baby picture in the locket admiringly.  
  
 "I'm tired of this supernatural crap! This still doesn't go completely with you're decision with Hilde!" Duo was obviously annoyed, and Aki sighed. She wished Hilde was here to calm him down, but then  again, he wouldn't be like this if she was here. Oh, now she was confusing herself with useless thoughts…  
  
 "I decided that after this, we'll destroy the gang, from the inside out. No doubt I won't make it the whole way through, so now you have a valid excuse to how I died, because no one will believe this. They know I'm capable of taking care of myself, and that I'm ready to do this kind of thing, so it'll be easier. But if I make it through, it'll be just as good..." She was about to leave it off at that, another thought came to her. She looked straight at Heero and smiled.  
  
 "Hey, now you know why I tend to have a 'double personality'." She gave off a little laugh to lighten the mood, but it didn't work. Instead, it only managed to make Relena smile and lean up against him, still digesting the new information. Finally, after the longest silence, Lady Une stood up. She motioned for Aki to too, which she did with a little glance at everyone.  
  
 "Aki Peacecraft, I give you permission to do this with the aid of these Preventers. Good luck in your goal." They all stared up at them, but gave no comments. Aki shook the woman's hands, noticing Marimaia and Chantelle's helpless looks, and retrieved her locket.  
  
 "I thank you with all that I am worth. And Marimaia, I regret not having the time to grow up with you. Chantelle, I hope you take care of yourself, and tell the others next time you meet them that I'm gone. Be assured, this will be the last time we meet, unless there is some miraculous miracle. Everyone else, feel free to back out of this, since you all have families now. I am not going to risk anyone else's lives." With a smile, she went to stand by the door, waiting for what will happen.  
  
 "Aki." Relena stood up and faced her daughter and Heero. "I'm coming with you. No daughter of mine is going into this, with all due respect. I don't want to have to watch you die from the television screen.  
  
 "Relena…"  
  
 "No Heero, I've made up my mind. She's my daughter, and I'm her mother. I'll be damned if I let her go without me, not when I know what will happen." She turned to everyone else and bowed. "Like she said, feel free to back out, I understand what a family means to you. I will hold no grudge towards those who don't come."  
  
 They all looked at each other uncertainly. But it was Chantelle who made the first statement, by pulling on Trowa's sleeve. "Daddy, please, don't go with them. Aki won't mind, I promise. I don't want to have to be alone anymore…"  
  
 Midii took her daughter's hand and smiled. "We won't. Trowa, it's okay, we have a family, right?" Hesitantly, the silent man nodded and turned to Relena and Heero.  
  
 "I'm sorry, but I cannot go." Relena nodded, then turned to her brother and Lucrezia, looking at the baby girl in their arms in awe.  
  
 "Brother, Lucrezia, please don't go. Yuki is still young, and she needs you two to make it through alive. I don't want you to come with us." She gave them a pleading look, and they reluctantly backed down.  
  
 "Yes, you're right," Lucrezia said, "we won't go. Please, though, take care of yourself." Relena nodded and looked at the others. Duo stood up.  
  
 "You ain't going to make me back down, no matter what." He all but yelled, standing up confidently.  
  
 "I wouldn't ask you to." Heero looked at everyone and watched as they talked amongst themselves. Two of the six not going, two going. Only Quatre and Wufei to decide.  
  
 "I'm going." Wufei stated, and pointed to Sally with his thumb. "And she is too." The Chinese woman behind him beamed and patted Wufei happily, despite the serious atmosphere."  
  
 "I can't. My sisters are counting on me to hold up my father's business. I'm sorry." Quatre and Dorothy both bowed their heads and sat back. Aki looked around, surprised.  
  
 "Honestly, I thought no one would want to come. Three years is a while… but thank you. Three out of the six families here, formidable." She turned to the few standing up and smiled. "Thank you, for coming."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
A very weird chapter if you ask me, but it sets everything up for the next chapter, when they start the mission: to release Hilde and destroy the new gang. Tune in next time to see what happens! Oh yeah, and now you can piece together about everything that's been confusing you ^^.


	23. Countdown, 12 11

Disclaimer: I own Aki, Chantelle, the gang back in the colonies, the plot, and any other new characters here.  
  
AN: Okay! So, time for my usually rant. Um, I really don't have much to say, but be warned, I'm not exactly the best at action scenes, though I'll be trying. And some people sounded like they didn't really like the supernatural, whiles others did. I guess this story really does have a bit of something for everyone ^^. Hmm… oh right! I got over 130 reviews from you all!! Yay! I've got to admit though, I really didn't expect much, and I was pretty much an amateur at the beginning of this. Thank you everyone!!  
  
 *Looks around for things to give out* Hmmm… I guess I'll just settle with this. *throws cast of BHAGE into the crowd* Umm, first come first serve?

  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 23  
  
 The small gust of wind whipped raven hair around Aki's face, and she shivered slightly in the cold. The Christmas carnival had been held outside, and Aki was surprised to see that nothing went wrong in the winter day.  
  
 "Must be the new technology." She did a once over around the carnival, making sure that no one had been dumb enough to follow this far. She then pressed the button on her communication line while fingering the loaded pistol at her side. "I've made it to the carnival."  
  
 "Roger, be careful." came the quick, curt reply from Heero.  
  
 "I will." Dropping the device to the ground, she crushed it with her foot. No use being caught. With deep breaths, Aki walked into the carnival with slow careful steps.  
  
 Earlier on, the place had been illuminated with bright lights, though now, the carnival was closed, and it was dark, giving the area a creepy feel. Tingles shot up Aki's back with every step. The snow fell on her face, numbing it slightly, when she had reached the carousel. Decided that it would do no harm, she climbed up on a horse, letting memories of the past occupy her as she waited.  
  
 This was only her first time on a carousel, and her second in a carnival. She fondly remembered the raid back when she was five, and going straight for the food booths. Shame that she would never get to ride any of these…  
  
 "You came." The cool, soft voice startled her, and she cursed herself. It was the woman, not one of her lackeys, that had come. Though, what confused her, was how soft and sweet the woman's voice was, definitely an enchanter.  
  
 "Of course, now release the girl." The woman walked up to her, and grabbed hold of her wrist. Aki tried to pull away, but her grip was vice-like. She pulled Aki of the carousel and onto the ground.  
  
 "Yes, you came, but unfortunately, not alone." Her eyes widened in surprise.  
  
 "What? The others, they are only here to pick Hilde up! They can't be a threat!" The woman smirked, and pulled away, but her grip on Aki's hand was still there.  
  
 "Oh? Then what's this?" Two men came out with a struggling Duo, and soon two more came to pin him down. Aki gaped. 'Damn you Duo! You're going to ruin everything!' Before she could even think of anything to say, the woman was talking again. "Men, I want you to drug him. That should-"  
  
 "No!" The woman stopped to eye Aki. "Don't let me handle this." Aki, who had spoken quietly, now turned to Duo before getting a response from the woman. "Duo! What the hell did you think you were doing? They were going to let her go! Calm down and let them take you, you have more than yourself to think about."  
  
 The braided man was muttering as the four men in dark green led him closer to Aki. "You really are Relena's daughter, you know that?" The woman's grip faltered slightly when he said that, but she quickly regained her balance and walked off, gesturing that the others follow her as well.  
  
 "The lady shall not be released. The man, will come with us, as it might not be wise to let him go. The others in the car could be alerted." She trailed off for a second before handing Aki over to another man.  
  
 "Get her warmed up and dressed, then take her to my room." Her hand slid away from Aki's, but another, rougher hand wrapped around the wrist. "And throw the man in the jail, with the woman."  
  
 "Fine by me." came Duo's nonchalant reply.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 "She's not here." Relena, who was muttering to herself in worry, felt a hand rest on her shoulders. She looked over to see Sally, who was watching the steps intently.  
  
 "We should go in." Said Wufei, irritated by the waiting. He wanted in, _now_.  
  
 "Five more minutes, and then we go in." Heero clutched the steering wheel hard, eager to do what Duo had done not nearly thirty minutes ago and rush in there. "Five" he repeated, as if telling himself to stay seated.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 Aki was shoved roughly into a clean, colorful room. There were curtains of green, and some couches, but there were hints of brown, white and red in the room as well. A small, smart outfit was laid on the tale, just her size.  
  
 "You have got to be kidding me." It was a soldier suit, a dark beige color. There were pockets on both chests with green flaps hanging over the opening of the pocket, and a green line for badges not far beneath it. Dark green shoulder pads, and the pants were green too. The shoes were boots, and black.  
  
 "They've even got a color scheme going on around here. How, odd." But there was no way she was changing into that. She thought she even saw a little smock on the side with a golden emblem. "Should've gotten Marimaia."  
  
 She started to walk out the door, but another thought came to her. "Well, it worked for Trowa…"  
  
  
 A minute later, she was dressed in the outfit, though without the hat, and was making her way down to where ever the soldier was leading her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 "How much longer?" Now Wufei was _really impatient. He wanted to run out right now, and just… do… something. "What are we even going to do when we get inside?"  
  
 Sally, Relena, and Heero all turned to look blankly at him.  
  
 "So that was what we forgot. A plan." Right now, Wufei felt like hitting somebody…  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 Duo walked silently between the two soldiers leading him, as the other two were sent away. They really thought that Duo was no longer a threat. Everything had their weak points.  
  
 With every door way they turned. Duo hoped that he would finally be shoved into a cell, the one containing Hilde. Then, he would beat the hell out of these guys and take their little outfits, then Hilde and Duo would make a quick escape before anything could happen. No, nothing was allowed to happen, not with a baby on the way.  
  
 "How much farther?" The guards looked lat him before turning away.   
  
 "You think we'd answer you? Look kid, we're probably twice your size and twice your strength." Oh, they'd be surprised. Come to think about it, it seemed to be like they had lived in the dark for the last while. Duo wasn't sure if they knew he was a Gundam pilot.  
  
 Perfect.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 Aki felt as if they had been walking for quite some time now, and wondered how a gang could get the money for this place. There had only been three year between the last one and this one, and even though three years was a long time, it would take much longer for someone to get all the support and money.  
  
 And there was the fact that they hadn't been detected the whole time. Silently, she congratulated the woman on her ability to be so cunning and discreet, yet still manage the giant society. No one had even heard of them before now.  
  
 It might've seemed weird, to think of her enemy to be so skilled, but she was not a single minded simpleton. She could hate yet admire someone at the same time. And this woman was amazingly skillful at this, but she wasn't planning anything good, and Aki hated the woman for that. Without realizing it, Aki stopped in front of the door, where the soldier had stopped, and waited as he rapped the door patiently.  
  
 "Ma'am, it's the girl." There was a slight shuffling of fabrics and then the door opened. For the first time, Aki saw the woman's features for the first time, clearly.  
  
 She had long, black hair, and green eyes. She was young, probably in her early thirties, and her face was disgustingly soft. Her eyes were hard and cold, though, and a discreet smile crossed her featured. She was clearly hostile, but if she tried, the woman could be an enchantress. Definitely not the usual enemy, but an enemy none the less.  
  
 "Bring her in." The soldier boy handled her roughly and she found herself inside the large room soon enough. It was clearly a bedroom, and the lady probably lived in the huge building.  
  
 "Now, Akira Peacecraft, I'd like to welcome you to our little group." Aki could just spit in her face right now…  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 "That's it?"  
  
 "Yes, that's it." Sally grounded out for the tenth time at Wufei, and sat back down in her seat. "Hey…"  
  
 "What is it, woman?" after shooting a glare over to Wufei, she turned her attention to the two in the front.  
  
 "It's been five minutes." The two men left in a hurry, obviously anxious to get moving, leaving the two women to run after them. They were up the steps and, before long, in the building, breaking right through the front doors.  
  
*!*!*!*!*  
  
 Yep! The end of another chapter. My little brother's relieved. Anyways, next chapter, you get to see a bit more about the strange lady, and Hilde is found. I think I'm wrapping the story up in about four chapters and an epilogue. Wow, already? I can't believe it! I've been working on this thing for three months! Holy…  
  
*runs away as Aki and gang come chasing after her for throwing them into the crowd…*_


	24. Discussion, 12 15

Disclaimer: Today, I learned how to get grease off of clothes, how to get the nickname "scary woman", and that I don't own Gundam Wing.   
  
AN: *sigh* It's 4:00 pm and I'm worn out! I've been running around my school all day doing this, and that, and this, and that, and I can practically feeling my feet throbbing. Though, it was fun. Lucky for me, my teacher actually likes it when I get a little mouthy. I mean, she went "It never says me" when we were doing hand language to the song I'll Be Home for Christmas, and I went "Well, it didn't say it the first time, what makes you think It'll say it the second time?". My student teacher kind of looked at me, and nearly burst out laughing. What a day, what a day. And I got booted off the computer while typing this chapter so that me little brother could help his friend out in this game, "Rune-scape". And my clothes are floating in a tub of lukewarm water to get grease out of it… not the least bit of a normal day for me today. I mean, I've got no homework!  
  
To Hououza: heh heh, I can't throw that far! Besides, you should've moved. How hard is it to see someone falling on you? And besides, with Duo, you got to admit, with what he's been through, and what he does to hide it, his mind's got to be a bit… unstable, right?  
     Morrighan of Crimson and Sable: Heh, but they're just so fun to write!! I mean, you're a writer too, and you got to admit it, right?  
     Lynn-Minmay: Err, *blush* that was exaggerated, right? *not so used to being in the spotlight; more of a behind-the-scenes person.*

  
Well, my usual rants, check, my review replies, check. Okay! So on with the story!! *pouts* Now I've got a bruise on my leg where I kicked the chair at some guy…  
  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 24  
  
  Aki watched as the woman all but floated over to the side table, and poured out some tea in a cup.  
  
 "Would you like some as well?" Dark green, the whole place was practically dark green. Talk about a fetish. Aki shook her head no, and was surprised to see the woman sip her drink calmly. She was so sure that the woman had drugged it.  
  
 "Why am I here?" It was blunt, demanding, and rude, but this wasn't the time to worry about etiquette. Besides, she was desperate to know. The woman placed the cup down slowly, and sat down on the seat at the table. She motioned for Aki to join her, but she kept her place be the door, ready to dart at any moment.  
  
 "Akira, Akira Peacecraft. At least you were sensible enough to keep your real first name, but I wish you had been told your real last name…" She was looking into the air, thinking, but Aki fixed her gaze on the woman. The glare was cold and hard, but it held a question behind it. The woman's eyes met Aki's straight on, and laughed.  
  
 "You really don't remember me, do you?" She paused, as if waiting for an answer of some sort, but she wasn't getting anything. "By the way, where is your sister, Arika?" Her hands clenched to keep herself from lashing out before she could get all the information from this… woman.  
  
 Besides, no one but those she wanted to know knew about Arika. She was her favorite secret. "How do you know about her?"  
  
 The woman ignored her question, though, and kept on talking. "I wonder, if it was because of those two who took you two away from me… Tell me, are they dead yet, or just hiding?" She tensed. Aki did not like where this was going. What was this woman implying? "You still don't understand, do you? Oh my, Akira, had I the chance to raise you, you would've understood this all. Actually, had I raised you, you wouldn't be in this predicament.  
  
 "Akira, you foolish child…" She laughed. "I'm your real mother."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
  The two men stopped in front of a door, finally, and one let go of the still slack Duo to open it. He pulled out a chain of keys and slipped it in. Duo watched his movements carefully, until he heard a quiet "click".  
  
 Immediately, he wrenched he arm out of the others mans grip, slugging him as he did so. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the second guard start to reach for his gun, but Duo flung his arm backwards, knocking him out too. Checking around, he spied a camera not far away.  
  
 "Damn, there'll be reinforcements any minute." The door behind him creaked open, and Duo whipped around. Inside the dark cell, a soft sobbing sound came. He stepped in quietly, relieved that he was about to see his wife again.  
  
 "Hilde?" He could see a bit of movement in the corner, and opened the door wider to let more light in. A figure moved cautiously and slowly towards him.  
  
 "Duo?"  
  
 "Yeah babe, it's me." The sobbing that had died down to occasional sniffing burst out full fledged and Hilde threw herself into his arms and sobbed tirelessly. He held her tightly and stroked the length of her back. "It's okay, Hilde, it'll all be alright."  
  
 "No, it's not okay…" She was still sobbing into him, muffling her own words, "Duo… I lost the baby." He stopped abruptly, making Hilde even stop to look at him. "Duo, what's wrong?"  
  
 He didn't answer, but instead walked outside the room and took his gun out of the holster. "Duo?" He turned the gun to the unconscious man head, and unlocked the safety.  
  
 "The God of Death just doesn't die."  
  
*~*~*(I'm tough, but I'm not writing the gore)*~*~*  
  
 "Where are they?" Wufei slammed the man back up against the wall, but this time had knocked the man out. A trail of blood ran down his nose, creeping onto his clothes. "Damn it!" He turned around angrily, now that he hadn't been able to get anything out of them. Sally glared at him.  
  
 "Wufei, this isn't going to work if you keep knocking them unconscious." The Chinese man glared back at the woman who was currently pinning down another soldier underneath her. This one was conscious… "This one's mine." She pulled the man up and towards her protectively and pushed him against the wall. "Watch, like this."  
  
 The holster was soon empty. The gun was up to the terrified man's temple, with her face dangerously close to his face. "Where is the prisoner from a few days back?" Wufei nearly smirked. The poor kid looked like he was about to wet himself.  
  
 "Sally! Wufei! What the hell are you doing?" Relena looked at the both of them in shock. Sally turned around slightly and shrugged.  
  
 "It's called persuasion."  She waved it away, although she looked disgusted, and continued as if she had never been persuaded.  
  
 "We found out where Aki is. You two find Hilde and Duo. We'll get out of here as fast as we can. I don't care what Aki says, she's not going to stay with them, no matter what she wants to do here." Relena began to walk, but realized something that made her slow down. Here was about where Aki would add in a witty comment. She had lived so long with her, could she go back?  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 "Liar!" Aki stepped back, and turned around, ready to run. Unfortunately, the door was locked, with three different locks. She didn't have a lock picker, and she would've never been able to open each one.  
  
 "Akira, honey, you must know that you can't escape. You have to listen. Didn't you ask me why you were here?" Aki stopped, although she was still ready to bolt at the first chance. There was no way she was… her mother was a street whore… that couldn't be true.  
  
 "Akira, you are here to help me break this… string of peace that your adoptive mother has created. I'm going to break everything she worked for, and pit every one against each other. I'm going to create an ultimate war, one impossible to calm." Aki shook her head at the woman before her.  
  
 "Why? Why would you want another war? Haven't we fought enough?" Her fingers felt for the knife she had placed in the folds under her shirt, but knowing it was very likely she had firearms all over the room.  
  
 "Akira… You just don't understand. Do you know what it's like not to have a purpose anymore? I am a fighter, a schemer, and a leader. I cannot do anything if this peace continues. I can't be whole." She slipped off the chair and grabbed Aki by the shoulders. "Don't you feel the same way, Akira? You are my daughter, and I know you, too, crave for the fantastic power, and the amazing exhilaration that comes from fighting? Don't you crave for the power to rip a person's life away? I know you've killed before today."  
  
 Her voice and stare was hypnotizing, and if it had been anything else, the compelling urge to give in would've overtaken them. But Aki had seen too much to let it all happen again.  
  
 "You are not my mother. I could never be your blood… my mother was helpless, innocent, and…"  
  
 "Lies." The words was spoken with such deftness it made Aki want to vomit. The woman should not of had been allowed to live. "All lies to protect you from the truth. Probably made up by those two who had kidnapped you from me, it was them, wasn't it? This is truly your mother. I am truly your mother.  
  
 Besides, why do you hate me so? I am aware of your friendship with that little Marimaia girl. Did she not do the same thing? Did she not ruin the peace? How am I much different from her?" Her hand had come up to cup Aki's chin, but she pulled away.  
  
 "You disgusting, vile woman," All urges to take out the knife and plunge it into the woman's chest were beginning to take over, but she controlled herself. Aki seethed, "Marimaia was young, and being controlled. The one that was truly like you got their rightful punishment."  
  
 "Disgusting? Vile? Hardly do, I am simply in love with the beautiful waltz that is war. But Akira, be reasonable. All I want from you, is the pleasure of ruling the new war-bidden world we shall create, beside you. Side by side, mother and daughter. Sounds formidable, right?"  
  
 "Bitch…"  
  
 The older of the two looked as if she were about to strike, but a knock came from the door. She looked up disdainfully and pushed Aki away. "I'll deal with you later." She turned to the door and pulled out a set of keys. "What is it?"  
  
 "There are intruders. The husband of the prisoner has overpowered the guards, and four others have entered and are making their way here. Mistress Avalon, what do you want us to do?" The woman, Avalon, smiled evilly towards Aki.  
  
 "Nothing. Let them come. I'll be waiting for them in the main room. And the child? I'm leaving her here." Aki's heart sank. Her parents had come in too, and they were going to be walking straight into a trap. And she was stuck in here.  
  
 "Gods no…" Aki lunged for the door as it closed, but before she could make it, the unmistakable sound of the locks locking back together made her lose her footing, and she fell down to the ground. "I have to get out of here."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 Gah! Talk about a twist! But good, isn't it? Now things are going to be even more difficult! Now, with Aki's biological mother being the villain, and everyone running into the clichéd trap, things are going to get interesting! And just to let you know, I've only got two chapters and an epilogue to do now.


	25. Irony, 12 19

Disclaimer: Today, I learned how to get grease off of clothes, how to get the nickname "scary woman", and that I don't own Gundam Wing.   
  
AN: Yes!! Holidays!! I just learned how to play Chinese checkers today too, that was fun. Even though I got my butt kicked by my teacher, heh. Anyways, this was the chapter I've been planning out since the start! Oh, I was so excited to start this one… though it might make you hate me… more on that at the end. Don't want to give anything away. ^^ And there will be a few references from Endless Waltz, but I just loved that sequel too much, and Marimaia's definition of war that I can't just not leave it in there.  
  
To Hououza: heh, I know, a real twist, wasn't it. Unfortunately, the idea wasn't completely mine. I got it from a series by Philip Pullman. Yes, I don't want to end this story either, but I have a million other ideas to write out (I keep to a two story maximum) and all things must come to an end. *pouts* I don't really want to end my baby!! (Last day of school before Christmas; too much candy)  
     Lynn-Minmay: *looks around* who, me?  Thanks, I guess… I'm hoping to publish a work someday… but my dad doesn't really approve. But still, thanks for the vote of confidence!  
     Watery Lily2: ^^ yes, the supernatural had everybody on my heels demanding answers for a while there, so I finally gave in a told them everything. *sigh* so much for my super dramatic ending…  
     Queen of Shadows: Yep, Hilde lost the baby. It was the reason for her to be kidnapped in the first place. *sigh* that was part of the angst, but it didn't completely turn out like I wanted it to… stupid plot changes.

  
Yet another chapter for all of you! Wow! So close to the big 150!  
  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 25  
  
 "Duo! Duo, w- what did you do to that man!?" Sally skidded to the spot where her friends stood, along with a man who had undoubtedly died a painful death. He lay at Duo's feet with a large bullet wound to his head. There were bits of blood and other pink materials everywhere, including a large amount matting down the man's dark hair.  
  
 Instead of giving an explanation, Duo spat at the man coldly and turned to Hilde. His face softened as he took in her pale, frightened face. For the first time in what seemed to hours, Duo felt his stomach wrench and felt sick.  
  
 "Hilde, I- I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." Her face didn't lax, and he feared he had lost her then and there. But she stepped forward and buried her face into his shoulder.  
  
 "Duo… I…" But she didn't continue, just stayed there, motionless, except for the unsteady rise and fall of her chest, signaling that she was still breathing. Duo shivered at the thought of his last actions, and nearly collapsed.  
  
 "Wufei… what are we going to do? We can't just pull them out of here in the state that they're in." Sally turned to her partner, unsure of herself for the first time in a long time. "I mean, sure, Duo's tough, but doing that can't do him any good. And Hilde can't be doing well either." There was a moment of silence as they tried to figure out a way to get out quickly, when Duo spoke again.  
  
 "Hi- Hilde lost the baby." Sally's heart skipped a beat, almost making her keel over, as she began to comprehend his words. But as much as she wanted to go over to them and comfort both of her friends, steady, quick footsteps came from far off.  
  
 "Wufei! Down the hall, go take care of them. I'll take these two to the entrance." She went to follow through her plan, but Wufei's hand on her shoulder stopped her.  
  
 "No, you come with me. They'll be fine. Then, we'll both carry them out." Unsure, yet again, she looked at Wufei, then the couple, before closing the door slightly and nodding to her partner. They ran off, guns ready to fire.  
  
 The two beats of war were starting again.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 "How…?" Aki looked around the room hurriedly, searching for any way to get out. The door was much more firm than she strong, and she could never break it down. Then, it hit her. "When brawn doesn't work, use brains."  
  
 Walking over to the table, she picked up the teapot on it. Behind her, a large glass window stood, proud and tall. Picking up the teapot, she quietly began to run towards the window, quickly calculating how far she should stop.  
  
 Two more leaps, and she stopped, using whatever force she could manage to make the glass shatter to the ground, each individual shard falling silently, yet the shattering had done great justice.  
  
 Now, was the hardest part for her to do, she took a couple of steps towards the door, quickly, and screamed as loud as she could. These people didn't know her, and they didn't know that Akira didn't scream, but it was going to be worth it.  
  
 She grunted, hitting various objects to give the impression of a fight. Surely there wasn't a camera in the mistress's room. When the door didn't open, she began to yell frantically.  
  
 "Help! Gods, no!" The door swung open, leaving Aki to come face to face with two younger looking guards, who seemed new to this kind of thing. They had caught her off guard, but she was the first to regain her composure. Taking out her knife, she ran head first into the closest guard's stomach, effectively knocking the wind out of him. Then, she turned to the other man, who was slightly more prepared now. He was reaching for his gun, but Aki took out the knife, flipped it open, and flung it right at the man. He fell, clutching at it as his pupils dilated, and blood ran through his fingers. Disgusted by what she had just done, Aki walked over to the man and felt his pulse. There was none.  
  
 "Forgive me." She flipped him over, and pulled the knife out of his chest. Closing his eyelids, she bowed before dashing off, hoping the guard didn't have a family. There was likely no way of redeeming herself before her death, right?  
  
 Pushing the image of the young man falling to his knees to the back of her mind, Aki flew down all the halls, looking for familiar ones. But she had no idea where the main room was. Rounding the corner, Aki nearly ran into a large group of soldiers.  
  
 They were rounding another corner, and Aki whipped right back to where she had come from. They were going to spot her, no matter how fast she ran. They were running somewhere too. Her mind raced, and she began to think back to the days of being an orphan on the streets.  
  
 'What would the street Aki do?' Then her mind clicked and she smiled, nearly hitting herself on the head for not remembering the simple answer. "Deceive them of course."  
  
 With a long intake of breath she walked out in front of them, and turned to face the large crowd. They stopped, getting their weapons ready. The foremost one eyed her warily, and she nearly lost her edge.  
  
 "What are you doing here child?" he had a gun pointed at her, but she had seen this before, and urged herself to keep calm and collected, and stick to her plan.  
  
 "You wouldn't shoot Mistress Avalon's daughter, would you?" He looked at her up and down, before deciding that she was kin with his mistress. Raising his hand to signal to the others to drop their weapons, he bowed.  
  
 "Mistress Akira, I thought that y-"  
  
 "Enough! You must've not of heard the news. I've decided to join the gang. Now, I'm going to the main room to meet my mother there, and assist her in killing the Vice Foreign Minister. Where are they?"  
  
 Head still bowed the foremost man replied, "We're going there ourselves. We heard of what might happen, and were rushing down there to help."  
  
 "What? Whose orders were you following?"  
  
 "B-but Mistress!"  
  
 "Silence. You are to direct me to the main room, and I'll help my mother there. Then, you may leave your posts. The security cameras were to be turned off, as my mother said, and none of you are to interfere. This is… personal." When the man bowed even lower and started to give her directions, she nearly smirked. It was all going as planned.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 Relena and Heero stopped at the end of the group, though not knowing the cause. Relena looked up at Heero worried, but he was gone. She felt a hand grazing hers, and turned to find him behind another corner. Not daring to even whisper his name, she followed him, trying not to make a sound as she disappeared with him.  
  
 "Where?" She was panting as they ran, but Heero seemed fine. His longer legs carried him swiftly, and made Relena glad that it wasn't one of those times when she had to run in High Heels. Now that she was wearing appropriate footwear, she was keeping up with him, even though just barely.  
  
 "There's another route." The hallway opened to her right, and a flash of green suited soldiers whizzed past as she ran. Her hair flying out behind her, she turned her gaze back to in front of her, to see the end of the hallway opening into another one, which turned left, away from the group.  
  
 The next hallway was deserted, and dark. Blue lights flashed above her every now and then, but most of the light came from the corner she had just past. Someone was really trying to hide this part of the building more than others. At the end of the hallway were double doors and she felt Heero's pace slowing, until they reached the door, when they finally stopped.  
  
 He turned to her suddenly, and cupped her cheek.  
  
 "Are you okay?" Her face was flushed as she panted heavily, while his breath was only slightly off.  
  
 "Just let me catch my breath." She held her hand to her chest, and waited for her breathing to slow down, just a bit. When she felt that she could run again, or anything else for that matter, she stood up straight and nodded to Heero.  
  
 "Okay…" Gathering their wits, they took a few paces back, and burst in…  
  
 To see a single woman standing in the room, in a simple, green gown, and long black hair. It was the security room, they assumed, as there were monitors all around. But why she was alone, was the question.  
  
 She turned to the both of them, her small, green eyes evaluating the two quickly, before her face broke into a smile. She reached into her, folds, making Heero tense and finger at his gun, and pulled out a single blade. She examined it, still smiling, before turning to them, her right hand all the while fingering the knife.  
  
 "Adoptive parents to Akira… I must say, I'm quite impressed. She's certainly is something, though, people as strong as the Queen of The World and Pilot of Gundam Zero must be something." Her voice was sweet, but with a venomous edge to it. "It's too bad that you two both ended up on the good side.  
  
 "How ironic, Miss Peacecraft, that two mothers of the same girl, may end up in two completely opposite sides, with two opposite views, and be leaders of powerful people." Relena was confused. What did this woman mean? She couldn't possibly be… could she?  
  
 "Oh, Miss Peacecraft, it seems as if you've finally figured this out! Yes, I am Akira's biological mother, and I am leader of this pleasant little group." She gave a small, delicate laugh, as if she was a regular woman from higher society than the leader of a gang, raging for war.  
  
  Heero glared at this woman, the one who claimed to be mother of Aki. There was absolutely no way, though they did resemble each other. She had to be at least thirty-five then, right?  
  
 "But enough of that. I might want to let you acknowledge that this is to be your very last day alive, and I want to enlighten you with a few answers. Anything you… would like to know?"  
  
 There was an audible click behind them, signaling that the door had been locked, and the lady just smiled. "Our daughter has been rather naughty, and is just outside right now. Oh! How rude of me, I forgot to mention my name, didn't I?" She was teasing them now, all the while playing innocently with the knife. "I'm Mistress Avalon, but you can just call me Avalon."  
  
 "Avalon. If you were really Akira's mother, why did she grow up an orphan, then you suddenly come and bring her back to you?" Heero looked at Relena in shock, wondering why she had gone ahead and asked the question. It was almost as bad as giving in.  
  
 "Ah, it was that couple, the one that Akira may have mentioned, that actually stole her from me, along with her sister, Arika. Why they let them know their names, but not their mother, is such a mystery. Keeping their names just made them easier to find." She leapt down from the small platform and strode over to them, but keeping her distance. A pistol appeared out of nowhere, and was now in her left hand.  
  
 "Anything else?" They were silent, and Avalon smiled before stepping back. "Alright then. I guess it's time to 'meet your maker'." She held the gun up, and pointed it to Heero first…  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 After getting instructions from the soldier and making them leave, Aki had been forced to walk down the hall, to have a calm appearance, even though she had wanted nothing more than to run. Every second was another second she had wasted on eliminating Avalon before she got to her parents.  
  
 She rounded the corner, and walked only a few steps, before she was sure that she wouldn't be detected. Running down the hall, Aki spied a dimly lit door, far off in the distance. It had just closed.  
  
 "Damn. Mother, you better be alright!" Her speed increased, and she sprinted to the door as quickly as she could, a gun she had picked up from a while back in her hand. When she got to the door, she slowed down, knowing that it would be a better choice to not barge in there and have every gun inside pointed at her. But when she did try to open the double doors, they wouldn't budge. Her heart began to speed as she realized that her parents must be in there already, if no one else was allowed in. This wasn't what was supposed to happen.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
  Heero subtly nudged Relena towards the door, telling her without words to save herself. He knew she was going to worry about him, and about to refuse, when the gun was suddenly in his face. Shocked, Relena jumped back, knocking the door open only a bit. 'Door opens from the inside.'  
  
 A small, green bundle hurled itself inside. It knocked Avalon over quickly, making the gun shoot into the ceiling.  With them both sprawled on the ground, Heero and Relena quickly recognized the girl to be Aki.  
  
 Aki groan, her body throbbing. There was something wrong, she didn't feel right. But, with the situation quickly coming back to her, she pushed the odd feelings away, and stood up, glaring at the older woman fiercely.  
  
 "You aren't going to be shooting them anytime soon." Avalon growled up at her, and used the back of her arm to swipe Aki away. She fell to the ground, almost crumpling at the force of the hit. Avalon jumped up quickly, and caught Relena out of the corner of her eye. The merciless grin was back on her face.  
  
 "Don't count on it you little wench." She raised her gun, just as Aki stood up, and shot.  
  
 The next events that occurred made time seem to slow. Aki stood, and heard a deafening bang.  
  
 She leaped Twisting about in midair to shoot at Avalon, her bullet aimed for her heart, but being redirected when the impact of landing made a pain flash up her spine, and readjusting her arm.  
  
 In the last second, Aki turned, smiling faintly at her mother, and whispering three little words, "I love you."  
  
 The bullet hit her back, making her body bend before collapsing into her mother's arms. Time resumed its normal pace, and Avalon stood laughing, and clutching her right shoulder, where Aki's bullet had hit.  
  
 "Poor darling. It appears we won't be together, after all. Just made the biggest mistake of her life." She smiled, and ran over to the right wall, hitting a panel and opening a secret compartment before running into it, and disappearing.  
  
 Heero Wanted to chase after her, but the sight of Aki in Relena's arms made him stay. Aki was his daughter too. He rushed over and kneeled down beside Relena, who was sobbing into her daughter's shoulder. But Aki was smiling.  
  
 "Please… Mother… don't be sad. Tell everyone not to be, that I'm going to see Arika again. And," she coughed, blood spilling out of her mouth as she did so, "kill Avalon next time you see her. Give her a shot after that, for me." She sat up a but, her gray eyes glowing happily as tears streaked down her face. She coughed again, making her collapse right back into Relena's lap.  
  
 She touched a hand to the puddle of her own blood, and studied it. "Isn't it funny how something, as human as blood, can taste so metallic?" Her eyes darted up to Heero and Relena, and she continued to smile through her tears. "A world full of irony." And her hand collapsed, had body went limp, and her chest stopped rising.  
  
 But as her eyes closed, Heero swore he could've seen a flash of blue.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Wow! That was a long one! Wow, even knowing that she was going to die didn't really help much, did it? That last scene was why I stuck an angst warning on the last few chapter. Why do I have the feeling that some of you are ready to wring my neck? Hey! Aki was my favorite character! I hated to kill her off! But there's a happy ending! I promise! That's the next chapter! Seven pages, holy cow!


	26. Finale, 12 23

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam wing, and any religious comments about the afterlife are just my musings, and should not be taken seriously.  
  
AN: Wow, I'm surprised I didn't get anything hateful from you guys in your reviews. That would've been fun… but none hateful things are good! *sigh* as the title of this chapter suggest, this is the last chapter of 'Black Hair and Gray Eyes', but the next upload will be an epilogue. I really don't want to end this story, but I have a ton more ideas thought up, and I really want to get started on an original. So, I'd like to say, thank you to everyone that's read and reviewed! I'm going to miss you all so much! *Hyper, even though she just got out of bed*  
  
To Hououza: Actually, that seven pages comment was for the last chapter… but I think this one is pretty much seven pages too.   
     Lynn-Minmay: I know, that part was sad, I had to admit, but I just think it's kind of… lame how people introduce characters just to kill them off instantly, or just kill everyone but the main characters. I kind of like it better when authors have the guts to kill off someone everyone likes… yes, I am cruel.  
     Watery Lily2: The last line… It was supposed to symbolize that Arika was inside of Akira the whole time, and her spirit was just showing itself for that split second.  
     Morrighan of Crimson and Sable:  
     Lynna: No, actually, I didn't pick out Chantelle for that reason. How coincidental… I picked it because she was supposed to be the fairer lady of the group, and what a more lady-like name than Chantelle?

  
Once again, thank you everyone for reading and reviewing! You got me all the way to 150 reviews!! I'm so happy!  
  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Chapter 26  
  
 The house was too quiet. Every time she turned a corner, or walked into a room, the image of Aki, smiling or walking pass, would always enter Relena's mind. Even though she had usually been quiet, Aki had always made the mansion seem homier, and Relena didn't know if she could live like this. The hallways she was walking down seemed cold and quiet. The room Aki had lived in… Relena hadn't worked up the courage to go in there yet.  
  
How could she have had been so careless? Of course, what her daughter had done against human nature, and she had to go back someday, but Relena never should've allowed her to go like that. Her last days should've been with her family for it. Not like that.   
  
 She felt more tears leak out of her eyes, and walked into her bedroom, spying a glint of gold on her vanity. It was her daughter's locket. She had taken it off of Aki before she had been pulled away by the Preventers. It might've been a violation, but Relena had needed something special of her daughter's to keep.  
  
 She picked it up and flipped it open and looked where Aki's smiling picture had appeared, just as Relena remembered her. She didn't have the carefree, sweet smile of any other girl her age, but a matured one, with hints of kindness behind it. Her gray eyes held a sparkle of contentment, and mid-length black hair flowed onto her shoulders.  
  
 That side was gold. Arika's side was a pearl white, but Aki's side was gold, even though she had already died. Relena choked back a sob and slammed the small locket down on the vanity before striding over to her bed to cry. She was strong, but she was only human. Heero had even had a tear fall down his cheek when Aki died too, to Relena's surprise. Not really though, because she had always known, he was human too.  
  
 Strong arms enveloped her into a strong, warm hug and Relena moved into it, breathing in her fiancé's scent.  
  
 Yes, her fiancé. His Christmas gift to her had been a ring, for his proposal. He was going to propose in front of everybody on Christmas day, but that didn't happen. Instead, the fight had been fought, and the revolution was controlled, then came the mourning of their lost child. Relena had looked through the various presents with Heero at her side until she had found his. They opened it together and she fell into his arms, sobbing, afterwards with soft whispers of, "Yes, gods yes Heero".  
  
 And today was the funeral. Relena's mourning dress was laid out on the bed, and Heero's suit was too. Aki's friends and the rest of ex-Gundam pilots and their female counterparts were coming, including Catherine, even though she had never really known Aki. Then there was Marimaia and Lady Une as well. It was a private funeral, and the news would be released to the media later on.  
  
 "Relena…" She pushed away from him enough so that she could see his face. "Relena, we have to go soon." Swallowing the lump in her throat, she picked up her dress and went to the bathroom to change. He was going to change in their room.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 "Miss Peacecraft." Lee bowed when he addressed Aki's mother, who was only four years older than him. It's was a little awkward, but it went well. He went to sit beside Dawn, who had arrived earlier. She was sobbing softly, and he offered her his shoulder. They were at the Peacecraft mansion, and were waiting for everyone to arrive before continuing. Besides, Aki's funeral was to be held in a special graveyard; the Peacecraft's own personal one.  
  
 "Miss Relena, the last of the guests has arrived." Pagan bowed a bit to the young woman and turned, revealing three people, a man with long bangs that obscured one eye, a blonde, fragile looking woman, and a young girl with blonde hair too, and piercing black eyes. She looked at him and Dawn before walking over to them.  
  
 "I take it you two are Aki's school friends?" Lee nodded for both Dawn and himself, as the girl beside him didn't seem to want to talk. The younger girl, probably ten, held out her hand. "I'm Chantelle, Aki's friend from the colonies."  
  
 "You live in the colonies?" Dawn was a bit more alert now, although talking through tears. Lee didn't blame her; he wasn't far off from breaking down himself. The girl nodded. "Oh, manners," Dawn sniffed and plastered on a weak, unconvincing smile, "I'm Dawn, and this is Lee." The two girls shook hands and then Lee shook hands with the child.  
  
 "Everyone, if you would please follow Pagan, we will be heading to the funeral site now." Chantelle looked over her shoulder before turning back to them. Her eyes softened, and she gave a small smile.  
  
 "Alone? Come ride with my parents and I." She helped the two of them up and led them out into the cold winter air.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 By the time they arrived in the secluded area, Lee and Dawn had learned every detail about the orphans' pasts. They learned about the gang, How it began, it leaders, and how they survived. They also learned a bit about how Akira and Arika were an unbeatable team when it came to a lot of problems on the streets.  
  
 "They were complete opposites, but a part of a whole each. We called them the Ying and Yang of gray and blue**. When Ari left for the other colony, then died, Aki was even more closed and quiet then before. But when I left to visit a few people I knew on the other side of the colony, she was killed, b-"  
  
 "Yeah, she told us this part," Lee interrupted, "Ari came to her, and she kind of… I don't know how to explain this but… her spirit kind of inhabited Aki's body too. I guess they were really two parts of a whole after that."  
  
 Chantelle nodded. "I didn't learn about that until a few days ago… so I always wondered why she had developed a bit of a double personality, and she was more open than ever. Even then, though, she was a bit closed. I guess in her body, Aki was stronger than Ari, and she had more dominance. But Ari still had some power, and came out every now and then."  
  
 "This is confusing if you think about it, you know. Then Miss Relena actually has two daughters, even though they're the same person, and we were friends with both Aki and her sister… and Lee! You kissed both of them!" Lee blushed and Chantelle sputtered while Dawn clapped her hand over her mouth. "Sorry there!"  
  
 "You kissed her?" Chantelle looked at Lee incredulously as he nodded slowly. They had earned several stares from the adults around them, but they quickly turned their gazes away. "Aki, even with Ari, had never let anyone touch her, never mind become a close friend. Lee, you've done the impossible."  
  
 She shot him a grin before noticing the limousine had stopped, and she tugged on them to follow her. "I have the feeling I'm going to have to pry you two for some details when this is all over with."  
  
 Everyone climbed out of the long, dark car and followed Relena as she led them down to the burial site for Akira's body. It was near the other edge of the site, and a large, rectangular tombstone marked it. They surrounded the hole and let the priest start his speech. After fifteen long minutes, Relena was called up to say a few words.  
  
 "Akira… we never knew about anything when I took her in. She was an orphan who grew up on the streets in the same colony I opened the orphanage on. She helped Heero save me, and brought us together slowly throughout a whole time span of five months. That was as long as I knew her, but she still made a huge impact on my life.  
  
 "Aki was quiet and reserved, most of the time, but she brought a light into my household. I'm glad she accepted me as her own mother; it was an honor to know her and be the one to give her a family. She, later, even helped keep a revolution at bay, and helped the Preventers capture all of the gang, except for the leader."  
  
 She bowed her head and moved to walk off, when something small and black ran past her. Startled, she looked up slowly, and everyone else's heads turned at the sound of hysterical laughing.  
  
 "That's right; no one ever caught the leader." A woman with long, black hair and cold green eyes stepped towards them, a gun in her left hand. She was laughing again, only softer this time.  
  
 "Avalon…" Heero, who was standing beside Chantelle, grounded out the woman's name, and nearly moved to fight, but was held back by the sight of Relena, not too far away. "Everyone, get out of here." The adults hesitated for a second, before stepping away from the woman, and bringing the kids along with them.  
  
 "Miss Relena, I thought you had more etiquette than that. My own daughter's funeral and I wasn't invited?" A collection of gasps and murmurs rose behind them, though all were ignored.  
  
 "Avalon! What are you doing here?" Relena was now by Heero's side, her eyes filled with a cold fury at the woman still stepping towards them. She gripped his arm, keeping herself in control. This was the woman that killed her daughter. Their daughter.  
  
 "Isn't it obvious? I'm giving my daughter my respects before you bury her. Oh, and maybe eliminate you, and get my war while I'm at it." Another bullet shot, but it missed too, instead reflecting off Aki's tombstone. She was shooting with the arm Aki's had it, while nursing it with the other arm. Blood still ran freely out of it.  
  
 "Such a shame. I only got to know her for a night, before death came to claim her. Oh, how I wish things could've been different." Her voice was soft, but mocking, making Relena grip onto Heero all the more. "Oh well." Another bullet, but it missed. She was still a long ways away from the couple.  
  
 A wind blew between them, Making Avalon look to her left for a bit, towards the long, empty field not yet littered with gravestones. But the field was all ready to hold more dead bodies…  
  
 Avalon's eyes widened, and she stepped back, scared. Her eyes were locked onto something in the distance, and everyone strained to see what she was so afraid of. A speck of gold rose up against the white of the snow.  
  
 "What…?" The question passed through everyone there, but only the three children uttered it. The speck was growing, and running, slowly coming into focus. A large mop of black hair was soon recognizable.  
  
 "Aki! Lee! It's really her! It's Aki!" Looks were exchanged quickly, but indeed, it was the girl. But she was different. Of course, she didn't normally wear short (but decent) gold robes, but there was something else. Some, ethereal?  
  
 Akira started to run, her soft strands of hair flying behind her, and her gray eyes flashing. Her sights were locked on Avalon, and she never looked away from the woman.  
  
 "It can't be! I killed you! I saw you dying in her arms!" For the briefest of seconds, Relena could've sworn she saw her daughter smirk, but her eyes trailed away from her Aki's face as two, large, golden wings sprouted from her back. They flapped, lifting Aki off the ground, but she still flew close to it, not ever saying a word.  
  
 Relena's legs gave way, bringing Heero down with her as they continued to watch Aki fly at an alarming speed. What had only been a speck before was halfway towards them, and counting.  
  
 Her wings continued to grow, and in a second, the covered her up completely, before opening again, bigger than ever. But they weren't attached to Aki anymore; they were the large, beautiful wings of a giant golden eagle.  
  
 Avalon, terrified, began to run away, tripping over the various tombstones in her way. She began to scream and yell to no one. "You can't be real! I killed you!" But the gigantic bird flew on, through the tombstones before closing its mouth around Avalon. A collision of golden feathers and something else took place, blinding everyone in an explosion of gold and white.  
  
 In the confusion, a black handled gun flew out, and landed on the ground, at Heero's feet. He picked it up slowly, and looked back up, to where the eagle had stopped moving.  
  
 But there was no eagle, just Aki and a dove, flying side by side, talking to each other. Actually, the dove was chirping as Aki listened, not really interested, as they flew towards Heero and Relena.  
  
 When Aki next looked towards them, she let out a smile, and did her usual, two-fingered-wave. She landed in front of them, and looked at the gun in Heero's hand.  
  
 "Don't try and kill me with that, it'll waste bullets, since I'm already dead." She stepped aside, revealing a shivering mass of forest green. She pointed at the pitiful bulge out of the snow that was Avalon, "Come on now, father, like you promised, right?"  
  
 With a slightly trembling hand, Heero aimed towards the woman, but he couldn't get his hand to stop shaking. The ethereal hand of his daughter's toughed his and he was steady, almost instantly. He shot, and the bullet hit her directly, earning him a painful cry from the heap.  
  
 "Aki, you were always the violent one." A second figure landed down beside Aki, only younger, and in white robes, with white wings. She still had the black hair, only with blue eyes.  
  
 "Arika?" Chantelle, from behind, stood shakily, and watched the younger angel. She turned, and grinned, arms spread wide.  
  
 "Chantelle! I've missed you so much!" Chantelle ran into her friends arms, holding her, but stopped and looked down abruptly. She looked the girl over again, and checked her temple. No scar.  
  
 "For once, I'm taller than you." She said blankly, making Arika put on a stubborn, indignant face. Chantelle nearly burst out laughing. Aki rolled her eyes and looked over at Chantelle.  
  
 "I guess that day at the headquarters wasn't the last time I saw you… never could trust me…" She turned to Relena and Heero, smiling softly. It was the exact same as the one in the locket.  
  
 "Mother… Father… I'm glad everything worked out so fine." Relena, who had been watching the younger girl talk to her old friend and the others, turned to Aki. Tears started to form in her eyes as she choked back a sob.  
  
 "Aki! Ever since… that day… I've been regretting everything. I shouldn't of let you go, so that you last days could've been spent with us, not fighting!" she leaned her head on Heero's shoulder, and gripped his arm tightly.  
  
 "Mother… it _was my choice. And besides," she paused, hesitant, "I am sort of like Avalon, I need a purpose. I need to be working, but I also wanted to do the right thing. I died in my mother's arms, and as part of the group that helped saved the universe from another revolution, Mother, I died happy." She leaned forward and wiped a few tears away from her mother's face.  
  
 "And Father," she turned to Heero, who was still getting over the shock of seeing a ghost, "I hope you can settle down with Mother. Really, take care of yourself, I'll hate you is I see you with wings too soon. Zero doesn't count, either." She smiled, and stood, readying herself to take flight again.  
  
 "Aki." Relena tugged at a lower fold of her daughter's shirt, feeling a lot like a young child again. Aki looked down at her, acknowledging her. She felt a heavy burden lift, though what it was, she didn't know. "Aki... are you happy… being dead?"  
  
 Aki looked down at her mother, who was still crying, but silently. "Yes, I am. I finally get to be with my sister again, although you are missing from it. I saw your parents, both of your biological and your adoptive father. Their all very proud of you, they couldn't of wished for a better daughter. Tell Marimaia I met with her father too. He's really proud of her, so is her mom. And Father, I met your parents. You've got you mother's eyes, and your father's looks. Odin's proud too."  
  
 Heero blinked. He hadn't been expecting that. He hadn't even thought about that. But now that he knew… he was happy to know. Aki crouched by them, and hugged them both, briefly.  
  
 "Don't ever be sad that I'm dead. Be happy that you've got your entire lives ahead of you. You've got your children's too…" she trailed off, touching the finger on Relena's ring finger gently. "I'll be watching on the day… that'll be my promise."  
  
 "Aki!" Akira, Relena, and Heero were broken out of their trance by Arika, who was waving towards them. "Aki! We have to go! We've been here too long!" Hesitating, the two of them, flapped their wings and started to float towards the sky.  
  
 "Sorry we can't stay, but we're already in enough trouble for cheating death!" Arika laughed as they floated higher, and she continued to wave to them all. Aki looked at the large group, and thought about what had just happened.  
  
 "I know this is awkward, but we can talk all you want when you make your journey to the afterlife. Don't forget to take your time though." They turned to leave, but Duo stopped them.  
  
 "Have you seen my child?" He called up to them, causing the two angels to stop and turned around. They looked at each other, before deciding on something.  
  
 "It was a boy! He's going to be reincarnated. Maybe you'll get his spirit again. Oh, and he had your hair and his mother's eyes!" Arika called down before they flew into the clouds and out of sight. Heero and Relena looked at each other before they fell together.  
  
 "Relena? Are you okay?" Duo stepped up to them tentively, tears in his own eyes at the knowledge that his child had made it up there safely. Relena smiled, and nodded.  
  
 "She's happy, that's all I needed to know." They looked all around, and spied the priest, still in major shock. Relena nearly laughed out loud, but Sally had done that for her.  
  
 "Come on, let's go and get warmed up. And I have to figure out how much more I have to pay him to help out with the mental scarring." They dragged the Priest to his feet and began to walk off.  
  
Meanwhile…  
  
 Aki and Ari flew through the portal back to the afterlife, all the while silent. Ari looked over at Aki hesitantly. Aki caught this, and glared. "What. Did. You. Do?" Ari faltered for a second, before pulling out her best act.  
  
 "Why sister, I'm appalled that you think I might misbehave while we were in the real world. Whatever makes you so sure that I've done something wrong?" Aki's eyes narrowed dangerously.  
  
 "Because I know you too well." Ari cringed, and broke under her sister's glare.  
  
 "I told Lee and Dawn and Chantelle and Marimaia where we hid our baby pictures." Aki stopped, making Ari nervous. You just didn't trust Aki to be behind you.  
  
 "How did you ever get the level of purity?" Ari shrugged, and Aki beat her wings hard. "I am going to get you so bad!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 Hee hee, I nearly cried when Aki and Ari met up with the group, and the little scene between the family. *sigh* now I've got to clear a little something up. The wing and robe colors are each levels of the soul in my little imaginary world, but none are better than others. There are four of them, white, gold, red, and black. White is pure, gold is strong, red is misguided, and black is unforgivable. Each one shows how the people acted in their lives. You'll learn more of that in the epilogue…  
  
Anyways, wasn't this just bittersweet? Yes, this is the last chapter (*sob*) and yes there is an epilogue. Please, if you have any questions, ask them now, or forever hold your peace. Otherwise, some information in here may be inaccurate (is it a priest who talks during funerals?) and tell me so that I know for future use! Holy crud! I'm nearly done this!! Thank you for all you reviews, happy holidays, and… I hope you enjoyed my story as much as I enjoyed writing it!!_


	27. Epilogue, 12 27

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam wing, and any religious comments about the afterlife are just my musings, and should not be taken seriously.  
  
AN: Thank you so much for all your reviews throughout the whole story!! I would thank you all individually but there was already about twenty reviewers the last time I did it. But thank you again for all your support! If you're looking for my next work, I'll be writing out a new story in the next year, after I finish the other one I'm doing. I'm targeting for something around February, but if you want to know what it's about… check out my profile. Lastly, in the last chapter, I had starred a phrase, "The Ying and Yang of Gray and Blue" or something like that… If you ever happen to see that title, it means that I've finally found the time to write out a prequel to this story!! It'll be about Akira and Arika's pasts, but please don't be expecting that anytime soon. I have ten stories on hold (original and fan-fiction) so I'm guessing at a year or two… unless I decide to cut out more fictions from my list. Well, I'm ranting again, so I'll just wrap it up!  
  
To Hououza: Thanks! I loved it too ^^  
     Anrui Shino: Well, now it's completely done! Nice to know you enjoyed it so much!  
     Lynn-Minmay: Yes, I think I nearly did too. Hope you had some Happy Holidays too!  
     Water Lily2: Yes, bittersweet alright. That's the kind of thing I'm good at.  
     Morrighan of Crimson and Sable: Well, that was the kind of thing I'm best at writing, I don't think I could've done very badly at it.  
  
Black Hair and Gray Eyes

Epilogue  
  
 Akira flew to the next area with four other golden-winged angels, checking over the lands of the afterlife. Two black winged angels flew below her; they had been caught trying to sneak back to the real world before their time.  
  
 As a short-robed golden wing, Aki's job was to make sure that all the other angels stayed in line, and that none went to use a portal to the real world as it waited to be fixed by the long robed golden wings. In the last three years, Aki hadn't really encountered too many Wanderers, which surprised her.  
  
 "Hey, down there!" One of the other golden-wings called, and Aki immediately saw the red-wing and black-wing, headed out together, searching for a portal not too far away.  
  
 "They seem to be moving out all at once. We should call for more Patrollers and Healers." Aki called to the others. Patrollers were short-robed golden wings, the short robes indicating that they had been strong physically, while long robes had been strong mentally. They had special jobs in the Afterlife, being Patrollers and Healers. Aki did patrolling, and Healers found and healed any portals to the real world, the world of the living.  
  
 "Oui. C'est bonne." A French angel, only a few wing beats away from Aki, turned and headed in the direction of a nearby group of resting golden-wings not far back.  
  
 "Come on, we have to get this to the Fates." All four angels dived down and recruited the two wayward angels before turning east and heading back to the large shrine, the only way to contact the Fates, the rulers of everything. The Fates had created everything, from the beginning of time, and continued to watch those of whom they created. There were millions of them, working, always, to create roads and pathways for the mortals to follow; animals, plants, whatever.  
   
 "Aki!" Everyone stopped, floating in midair, as they waited for the owner of the voice to catch up with them. When Aki saw it was only Ari, she nodded to the others, motioning for them to go on ahead. "Akira!" Arika stopped in front of her, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
 Aki, on the other hand, showed nothing but annoyance; this wasn't the first time Ari had stopped her from working. Nor was it going to be the last.  
  
 "What now?" Ari pouted at her sister, disapproving of her serious tone. Avalon came up behind her, annoyed as ever, dressed in full black. Aki nearly smirked, as she always did when she saw her mother. The fates had a very active sense of humor; Avalon's punishment for her actions in life was to serve Arika for a century before being reincarnated to try and earn better wings.  
  
 "Oh, so now 'Miss I'm-Way-Too-Busy' won't even take the time to take a peek at her new little sibling?" Aki glanced at Avalon then Ari.  
  
 "New sibling?" Ari's face brightened as their mother's scowled deeply. She nearly laughed as she knocked at Aki's head.  
  
 "Hello? We've got a new Yuy-Peacecraft on our hands! Boy, you get more clueless every day." She opened her mouth to say more, but Aki had already sped ahead, apparently eager to see her little brother or sister. Ari crossed her arms and sighed. "Clueless, but noble. Avalon," the black-winged angel shot a glare at the little white-wing, but Ari simply tugged at an invisible thread to discipline her, "You may take a break. It's about time you take a bath or something anyways."  
  
 "Why you-" Ari tugged again, making her mother lurch forward at the pressure on her limbs.  
  
 "Nuh-uh, you must be polite to earn a sooner reincarnation date." Ari wagged a finger in front of her mother's scowling face and flew off to join Aki, who was probably already at the Looking Pond.

  
 And indeed she was. The Peacecrafts were there too, both golden-wings. Actually, Ari was the only white-wing there. The Taishos, Heero's family, and Mr. Dorlain were all golden wings, some long robed and some short robed. They all gathered around the Looking Pond.  
  
 Ari greeting everyone quickly before finding a place by her sister, who was staring intently into the picture the pond formed.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 Heero and Relena both stared down at the baby boy in his mother's arms. Small strands of dark brown hair were matted on his head, and his small face was contorted as he cried. Their first born.  
  
 "He's beautiful…" Relena whispered as she stroked the baby's face, trying to calm him down. His response was to free a tiny arm out and swipe at the air. Heero caught the limb with his fingers, and gingerly rubbed it.  
  
 "Yes, he is." The couple looked at each other for a moment, and smiled as the baby boy continued to cry. Relena sighed and held him closer, but the child still didn't stop.  
  
 "Should we think of a name first, or try and make him go to sleep?" But as she said those words, and pale hand came down from nowhere and caressed their son's cheek, instantly calming him. He moved his head into the soft-looking hand and opened his eyes, revealing them to be a cobalt blue. Heero and Relena looked for what had stopped their baby's crying but saw nothing.  
  
 "Could it…" Relena knew what her husband meant, and looked around, searching for any sign of her daughter… from three years back. There was none, except for a slight change in the air. It was more peaceful now…  
  
 "Maybe… Aki…" She looked longingly out the window, wishing that her daughter could be alive right now, really caressing her little brother. But there was no point of living in the past and she turned her attention back to her son.  
  
 "She's watching… she promised…" Through watering eyes, Relena smiled at her husband and baby.  
  
 "Yes, she did. Heero, look! He has your eyes too! He's going to grow up looking just like his father." They leaned into each other as Relena raised the baby to suckled her breast. "Except I'm going to teach him how to use a comb."  
  
 Heero only grunted in response.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
 "Aki! What do you think you're doing? We're already under close watch because of our little… escapade." Ari scolded her twin (though older looking one) as she held her hand above the looking pond. The ripples quickly smoothed out, forming a crystal clear picture again.  
  
 "Hn."  
  
 "You'd think being a whole person with me for a while would make you open up a little more." Ari was trying to make her voice sound accusing, but failed horribly. Her shoulders slumped and she walked away from the rest of the group, being followed by her sister. They sat in a grove not far away.  
  
 "Oh well, we have an eternity to work on it." She sat, her legs slightly pulled up and her elbow resting on her knee. Here head was resting on her palm, a bit at an angle, and both of her eyes closed. "So… are you thinking of being reincarnated anytime soon?" and eye opened to look at her sister. Aki looked at her questioningly.  
  
 "Oh come on! You know we can sign up to be reincarnated anytime we want. We aren't with wayward wings, you know."  
  
 "You still have to stay here for at least a century, what with Avalon's punishment." Ari scoffed, righted her body and flinging so hair to the side.  
  
 "A century isn't long compared to eternity, you know? Besides, I only have about… ninety-seven years left? Besides, I never said anything about coming with you…" Aki raised an eyebrow.  
  
 "Ari, in all of our lives, we've always been reincarnated as twins."  
  
 "And we've never lived a full life. That's why I did what I did when you died."   
  
 "And we were punished."  
  
 "Just answer the question!" The older looking one turned away, looking like she was seriously considering it. Ari, deciding not to let Avalon stray, tugged at the strings tied to her fingers to check on her mother. Good; she was still and the Purifying Springs.  
  
 "I've decided…" Aki's voice brought the younger twin out of her daze. "To stay here for a while. I want to see everyone again."  
  
 "Everyone… as in…?"  
  
 "Everyone. In the colonies, on Earth, in Mars, everyone." Aki's wings unfurled, ready to take off again, but stopped, making Ari look up at her sister. "Have you seen…?"  
  
 "Oh, our first parents. Err, wait, second, no, maybe, the first parent's we remember?" Aki nodded. "Of course. Actually, they went for reincarnation just before we came back. Now hurry up before I get blamed for holding you back from work… again!"  
  
 Aki nodded to her sister and flew off.   
  
*~ The End!  
  
 There you go! A nice ol' Epilogue! Hope you enjoyed!!


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